Sierra Leone and the 38th Session of CEDAW: A PeaceWomen Review
By Rose Anderson

On 17 May 2007, Sierra Leone presented its combined initial, second, third, fourth and fifth periodic Report to the CEDAW Committee of Experts for consideration at the Committees 38th Session, which occurred from 14 May to 1 June 2007.

Introduction
Sierra Leone is a country in the process of reconstruction, having recently come out of an 11-year conflict. During the conflict, half of the population was displaced, 50,000 people were killed, and over a quarter of a million women were raped. The war was declared over in 2002, but the legacy of the conflict entailed the devastation of the social and economic structure of the nation, as well as a breakdown of the rule of law and political authority. The country is currently focused on rebuilding the country’s economic and social infrastructure while addressing the need for promotion and protection of human rights.

Issues Facing Sierra Leonean Women
During the conflicts, many women were abducted by the RUF (Revolutionary United Front) and other rebel groups and were used as sex slaves and human shields during combat. Girls were also used as child soldiers. In addition to widespread sexual violence, many women were also brutally tortured and mutilated by the rebel groups. However, as a result of gender stereotypes, women were generally excluded from the demobilization and disarmament (DDR) process. For instance, many women did not carry guns, and were thus not able to participate in weapon-collection programs, which is the initial step in most re-integration programs.

There are many legal constraints on Sierra Leonean women. Under the current Constitution, women are disadvantaged by laws regarding land ownership, marriage, and inheritance rights. Sexual violence is prevalent within the country, and the current legislation regarding the issue is weak and under-implemented, and excludes children from legal protection. The issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) is of concern, as this practice is deeply embedded in the Sierra Leonean culture and affects 90% of the country’s women.

Women are under-represented in decision-making levels of the Sierra Leonean government, and while there are women in the lower levels of governance, there are very few ministers, and only one ambassador is female. The barriers to political participation can be primarily attributed to deeply embedded gender-role stereotypes combined with a lack of education for women, with only 29% of the female population literate.

Report of the Sierra Leonean Delegation
During its initial presentation, the delegation, headed by Ms. Memunatu Koroma, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children’s Affairs, spoke of three bills with a significant impact on women that are currently before the Parliament. These include a domestic violence bill, a sexual violence bill, and a customary marriage and divorce law bill. These are referred to as the “Gender Bills”, and the presentation focused on the details of this proposed legislation, as well as the difficulty that the Government was facing with the domestication of CEDAW. The issue of FGM was raised, and there is a current legislative proposal to create an age of consent for the practice, which would be 18 years. This is meant to increase awareness and to allow some women to avoid this deeply embedded practice.

1325 Themes and Response
The need for greater representation of women in the decision-making levels of governance was mentioned several times by the Committee of Experts, and the response of the Sierra Leonean delegation addressed the issues of resource scarcity, illiteracy, and lack of formal education as the main impediments to achieving this goal. The Experts asked about female representation in bodies such as the Peacebuilding Commission, but the Delegation was unfortunately unable to provide any information on the topic.

The issue of the permanency of cultural stereotypes and traditional gender roles was defined as the main obstacle to female political participation, and it was noted by the Committee that such traditional beliefs tend to only be unchangeable when they apply to women, and tend to be used as an excuse to not deal with gender issues. The Committee then recommended that the government of Sierra Leone apply special temporary measures as soon as possible in order to increase the numbers of women in government. There are women’s groups that are working to train women in politics and build capacity for female political participation, and the Experts recommended governmental collaboration with these groups.

The Experts posed questions regarding reparations and assistance programs for victims of sexual violence, with the Delegation responding that there were housing and education programs available to victims. However, it was noted that these programs are limited in their effectiveness by a lack of awareness and resource scarcity. The Delegation also stated that the Sierra Leonean government had presented an apology to the women who had been victimized by sexual violence during the war, which was a recommendation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

In its concluding remarks to the Delegation, the Committee of Experts recommended that the Sierra Leonean government strive to mainstream gender into all proposed legislation, to domesticate CEDAW into its national legislature, and to widely disseminate information on CEDAW and the Optional Protocol, as well as the Committee’s Recommendations, in order to create awareness of gender issues and capacity for progress.

 

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USEFUL RESOURCES
CEDAW State Party Report of Sierra Leone
Concluding Comments of the CEDAW Committee
NGO Shadow Report from Sierra Leone Association of Non Government Organisations (SLANGO)
UN Press Release on the CEDAW Committee’s Review of Sierra Leone’s Report