Some years ago in Sierra Leone, women were particularly active in the construction of democracy and in promoting free and fair elections. They took the education of the people into their own hands, persuading individuals to register as voters and recruiting and training observers to scrutinise the election proceedings throughout the country. They also pushed for their involvement in political decisions. Credit for the success of the elections was mainly attributed to the role of women in the process. Furthermore, they put pressure on the military government to respect the operation and results of the democratic elections.

Several women’s organisations were created, as well as the Sierra Leone Women’s Forum (SLWF), a place of dialogue free of hierarchical barriers, created with the aim of consolidating actions for peace, an effort unique to the African continent. Prior to the disastrous recent war, which shattered great efforts by Sierra Leonean women and their organisations, FAS carried out several missions in Sierra Leone and worked with the Forum as well as with other local, regional and international partners.

FAS’s first mission to Sierra Leone

In February 1997, a FAS delegation visited Sierra Leone at the invitation of two local women’s organisations, namely Women Organised for a Morally Enlightened Nation (WOMEN) and the Sierra Leone chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF-SL). FAS also worked closely with various Sierra Leonean women's organisations, notably the Women's Forum (an umbrella association), Accord 97, Crusade for Peace, WILPF and Campaign for Good Governance.

The delegation was composed of: the Honourable Janet B. Mukwaya, Minister of Gender and Community Development, Uganda; Mrs Esi Sutherland-Addy, former Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Ghana, and Senior Lecturer of the Institute of African Studies of the University of Legon; Mrs Thandi Orleyn, National Director of the Independent Mediation Service of South Africa (IMSSA); Mrs Bineta Diop, Executive Director of FAS

The delegation assessed women’s participation and leadership in the then newly elected government with the aim of reinforcing local capacities through training and experience-sharing.

More specifically, the delegation set out to collect information on the role of women in the peace process, with a view to sharing the Sierra Leonean experience with others in Africa, especially those living in conflict regions. It also held meetings with the First Lady and various government officials, including the Vice-President and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Local Government and Community Development.

Attempts were also made to highlight the role played by women in Sierra Leone and to strengthen the women’s movement by helping to develop the skills of its members in conflict resolution. A joint training workshop was organised in Freetown during the mission in February with IMSSA, WILPF and WOMEN in conflict resolution techniques.

Some 35 Sierra Leonean women took part in the meeting, which was designed to help provide women with conflict-resolution skills. A number of local women’s NGOs were represented and some participants came from camps for displaced people and from rural areas. It is important that this type of training is adapted to meet the needs and conditions of women at the grassroots level. Training manuals should be developed in local languages, local women should be trained as trainers, and the education and capacity-building of the leadership of women’s organisations should continue.

The workshop also included the participation of the Chairman of the City Council of Freetown, Mrs Florence Dillsworth, the Minister for Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mrs Amy Smythe, the Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office, Mrs Theresa Koroma, a number of members of parliament, the US Ambassador and representatives of international organisations. The new challenges facing Sierra Leonean women were highlighted. In spite of their own limited educational background, they are assuming a growing number of duties, including providing education, health care and taking care of the underprivileged.

Key to the success of the workshop was the ability of participants to transmit the recommendations to the grassroots level, for women to be able to participate more fully in decision-making, to be more active in local elections and to be represented in government. If necessary, these should be achieved through affirmative action or quotas. IMSSA conducted the training in conflict-resolution skills and, during the final evaluation session, participants called for follow-up activities to be planned.

Self-help for refugees and displaced people

In addition, a visit was arranged to the "Clay Factory", a camp for displaced people in Freetown . While visiting the camp, the delegation met a number of women who have played a significant role in the peace and electoral processes and discussed the unique situation of displaced women at the camp.

Between September and November 1997, FAS also visited Sierra Leonean women refugees in Guinea , the Gambia and Liberia to learn more of their situation and discuss initiatives to resolve the crisis and see how FAS could assist.

The needs and strategies of Sierra Leonean women refugees in the various countries became clearer. They included the fundamental importance of solidarity and the creation of co-ordinating bodies within the refugee camps to deal with welfare issues and income-generating activities. Information sharing and liaison between the scattered groups of refugees was key to their involvement in the peace process.

Solidarity, a key to success

Throughout the mission, FAS was assured of strong support for its efforts to co-ordinate activities and ensure the exchange of information between all groups both in the region and further abroad. Meanwhile, the women of Sierra Leone must take it upon themselves to address the issue of peace and contribute to the decision-making process.

In March 1998, after the restoration of the elected government, most women finally returned to their country. FAS and the Sierra Leonean organisations promoted the involvement of women in the peace process at that time. They also underlined the importance of gender considerations in policies and programmes set up by the government, ECOWAS and the international community.

During this period, there was general consensus on the need to improve organisation at the national level and to unite all women's organisations working for peace by establishing a strong platform on which agreement could be reached on peace and development activities. Furthermore, organisations needed to consider how to increase women’s participation in the process of national reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation, how to strengthen civil society's role in the development of Sierra Leone, and how to encourage refugees and displaced women to return home.

After yet another coup d'état, FAS’s objectives and operations in the country were drastically altered as Sierra Leone was once again plunged into a spiral of violence causing women’s movements to become both dispersed and scattered. During its next mission to Sierra Leone, FAS therefore encouraged the women to reunite, to concentrate and co-ordinate their efforts once again on making their voices heard in the peace process.

Shattered illusions

The invasion of the capital Freetown on 5 January 1999 left an unprecedented trail of atrocities and destruction in its wake. The human cost is yet to be fully realised. As is so often the case, women and children were the worst affected. Camps for displaced people multiplied within the city. The first of these was established in the grounds of the National Football Stadium in Freetown. From an initial influx of over 50,000 people in this particular camp during the first week of the invasion, the numbers now average around 25,000, as other camps have been set up in the east and central parts of the city.

Speaking about the crisis, Mrs Amy Smythe, former Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs in Sierra Leone, told FAS: "Somehow I survived the rebel invasion of 6 January 1999 in Freetown. I don’t know how - I cannot explain it — but, by the grace of God I am alive today. The entire population is in shock, traumatised. It is only now that we are beginning to come out of the coma.

"People were devastated, particularly women, and only recently have they found their voices to speak out about what is happening. It was as if all our efforts had disappeared down the drain. We still cannot understand what has happened and how it could have happened. There was a total lack of will to react. … This is a sad, sad chapter in the history of Sierra Leone. We, the women, had made such an impact on society through our activities before the elections in 1995. We have much to learn about what has happened, but I do not know where to begin, nor how the process can be set in motion."

Refusing to bow down

International Women’s Day 1999 was commemorated in an unusual manner, with a rally at the National Stadium. In addition to a statement by the SLWF, women who had suffered during the civil conflict told their awful stories. Firsthand accounts were given of terrible suffering, including rape, amputation of limbs, beatings, the massacre of entire families, the abduction of children, and the destruction and looting of homes. Placards carried at the rally called for an end to the violence: "Enough is enough", "A final solution must be found to end the war", and "Give children their childhood — No more child soldiers". Statements were also made at the rally by Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs Mrs Shirley Gbujama and UNDP Resident Co-ordinator Ms Elizabeth Lwanga.

Revival movement

The rally had a revitalising effect on several women’s organisations, including the Women's Forum, which began to address the many problems facing women, children and families. The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) organised feeding programmes for displaced women in the camps. Special attention was given to mothers and those babies born in the camps and who had only the hard ground for beds. Clothes, soap, food and other basic necessities were also distributed. The sight of so many women rejoicing in the midst of so much suffering moved many to tears, so great was the outpouring of gratitude that their grief and hardship had been recognised.

The Sierra Leone Association of University Women (SLAUW) organised a collection of babies’ clothing, cups, utensils, and so on, and these were handed over to about 50 mothers who had given birth at the National Stadium camp between January and February this year. There is an urgent need to elaborate family planning in the camp because of the growing number of pregnancies, particularly among young girls.

In order to address the trauma suffered by victims of rape, the Sierra Leone Chapter of the Forum for Africa Women Educationalists (FAWE), in collaboration with SLAUW and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, set up a number of counselling units in Freetown. Rape is a particularly debasing instrument of war used extensively by the rebels during their invasion of Freetown.

Apart from addressing the effects of the war, some groups have also begun to consider solutions to its causes. Recently, a workshop was organised with the assistance of the Lutheran World Federation and its Co-ordinator for West Africa. Women of differing religious backgrounds discussed ways to increase their involvement in the peace process in Sierra Leone and to encourage more women to join them in their campaign. The keynote address at that workshop was given by Mrs Amy Smythe who emphasised that every Sierra Leonean must take responsibility for the present situation to ensure that a lasting solution can be found and shared by the entire population. She presented a plan of action for sustainable peace in a document entitled The tree of life for sustainable peace in Sierra Leone.

Women raise their voices

The National Consultative Conference on the Way Forward for Peace in Sierra Leone was held from 5 to 9 April 1999. Its objective was to enable the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights to collate the views of all areas of society to assist the development of the National Programme for Sustainable Peace. This document was presented to the rebel forces prior to the meeting in Togo on 18 April.

Unfortunately, women are still not well represented in such fora and their views were not effectively expressed nor taken into account. This is primarily because many of these women leaders who were involved in the earlier democratic movement are no longer present. Victims of the successive invasions, many have sought refuge outside the country.

As a result, the women’s movement as a whole has suffered and their voice is very weak. The gains made earlier have been overturned by violence. Women are no longer an influential force in Sierra Leone, although they are once again trying to regain their momentum.

The call for women to be integrated into the peace process was emphasised in a statement by the OAU’s Women’s Commission on Peace broadcast on the national radio station. Unfortunately, the challenge is almost too great for women in Sierra Leone. Their morale has plummeted and their energy has been sapped. They desperately need the support and encouragement of their sisters outside Sierra Leone. It would be a great blow to women and society as a whole if, instead of being able to build on past success, the women of Sierra Leone were to falter and lose their power and influence.