1. THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN
SIERRA LEONE
Jessica Russell
Research Fellow
Saratoga Foundation for Women WorldWide, Inc.
December, 2015
2. 1
Table ofContents
Overview .................................................................................................................................... 2
Sierra Leone at a glance ........................................................................................................... 2
Section 1. Human Rights of Women in Sierra Leone, in the context of policy .................................. 2
Section 2. Women’s involvement in government and politics and the number of women in
professional roles......................................................................................................................... 3
Section 3. Access to education for girls, teenage pregnancy and forced and early marriages ............. 4
Section 4. Legal, cultural, tribal and religious restrictions on women............................................... 6
Section 5. Gender violence and women and armed conflict............................................................. 8
Section 6. Poverty, women’s socio-economic role and food security ............................................... 9
Section 7. Infant and maternal mortality rate, access to health care,family planning and the state of
reproductive rights......................................................................................................................10
Section 8. Women’s organisations ...............................................................................................11
Section 9. Conclusion and Recommendations ...............................................................................12
Reference List............................................................................................................................13
Annex 1. ....................................................................................................................................15
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Overview
In this research paper,we address the following issues in relation to women and girls in Sierra
Leone: human rights of women in the context of policy; women’s involvement in government and
politics and the number of women in professional roles; access to education for girls, teenage
pregnancy and forced and early marriages; legal, cultural, tribal and religious restrictions on
women; gender violence and women and armed conflict; poverty, women’s socio-economic role
and food security; infant and maternal mortality rate,access to health care,family planning and
the state of reproductive rights; women’s organisations; and finally, we give our conclusion and
recommendations.
We analyse the current situation of women in Sierra Leone, the challenges they face and discuss
in depth why women must be integrated into the development process through increasing social,
economic, and political equity, access to fundamental human rights, and improvements in
nutrition, basic health, and education. We see that the challenges faced by women will continue
for the short-term future, as the low numbers of women in governance roles means that priorities
and agendas may be defined without meaningful input from women. Thus leading to those issues
affecting women and girls directly having less priority on the country agenda. However,we find
examples where significant strides have been made in the inclusion of women and their power
and influence on the local and national levels. And we note the many examples of organisations
working with women so that they may more effectively be integrated into the development
process,creating a brighter future for future generations.
Sierra Leone at a glance
Sierra Leone has a population of 6.1 million people, with an annual population growth of 1.8%
and covers an area of 71.7 thousand square kilometres, with the capital city being Freetown
(UNESCO,n.d) (World Bank, 2015). The ratio of women as a percentage of the total population
in Sierra Leone was 50.5% in 2014. As of 2013, the life expectancy of a woman born in Sierra
Leone is, on average,only 45.8 years (World Bank, 2015). In general, women are perceived as
having a lower status than men in their communities (Salik, 2014). Sadly, in Sierra Leone, one in
six women report being raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime (Government of Sierra Leone,
2014).
The Gender Inequality Index (GII), as measured by the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP),reflects gender-based inequalities for each country using three metrics, including:
reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity. UNDP measures the metric of
reproductive health using rates of maternal mortality and adolescent fertility. The metric of
empowerment is measured by the ratio of parliamentary seats held by women compared to men
and rates of achievement of secondary or higher level education. Lastly, economic activity is
measured by the participation rate of women and men the labour market. Sierra Leone had a GII
value of 0.643 in 2012, ranking it very low compared to other countries, being 139th out of 148
countries (UNDP,2013).
Section 1. Human Rights of Women in Sierra Leone, in the context of policy
The Constitution of Sierra Leone (Article 15, Section 27 Subsection 1) affords the protection of
human rights to all citizens, regardless of gender, stating that “no law shall make provision which
is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect”. However, the principle of non-discrimination
does not apply in all instances, as Subsection 4 of the Constitution states that Subsection 1 the law
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does not apply “with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on
death or other interests of personal law”. In effect this allows for discrimination in areas that
mostly affect women (The Republic of Sierra Leone, 1991) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014)
(Annex 1). A review of the Constitution of Sierra Leone went underway in 2015, and includes
proposed revisions to the constitution by the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone
(HRSCL),who submitted their Position Paper to the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), in
July 2015, citing the need to amend or eliminate Section 27(4) of the Constitution, in order to
protect against discrimination (Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, 2015).
Enacted statutes designed to protect the rights of women where they are not effectively protected
by the Constitution include three Gender Acts: the Registration of Customary Marriage and
Divorce Act (2007), the Devolution of Estate Act (2007),and the Domestic Violence Act (2007),
with the Child Rights Act also enacted in 2007. The Sexual Offences Act was enacted by
Parliament in 2012, whilst the Matrimonial ClausesBill and the Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment Bill are currently being submitted to the Cabinet. These bills and acts are aimed to
fulfil the requirements of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW),as mandated in the Constitution (Section 40) (Government of Sierra
Leone, 2014) (OECD,2014) (Annex 1).
The 1991 Constitution under judicial law recognises that 70% of the country (being all rural areas
outside Freetown), is governed by customary law under traditional justice systems, which is
unwritten and often favours the rights of men over women (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
Like judicial law, customary law covers cases of family law, marriage, divorce, property,
inheritance and land tenure. Comparing the two, under judicial law a woman may own property,
however women may not have the right to own property under customary law. The customary
law guiding these traditional justice systems is not codified, with decisions being inconsistent
between similar cases (United States Department of State in 2013).
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs (MSWGCA) is the national body
that is responsible for promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment and monitoring and
implementation under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA). The enactment
of the laws mentioned including the three Gender Acts, is a step forward to the full
implementation of the BDPfA,however Sierra Leone still faces many challenges to its full
implementation, and we discuss many of these critical issues affecting the lives of women and
girls, and reasons behind the systemic issues in the following sections (Government of Sierra
Leone, 2014).
Section 2. Women’s involvement in government and politics and the number of women
in professional roles
The Gender Equality Bill (2011) makes provisions for a 30% minimum representation by women
in Parliament, local councils and ministries, and government departments and agencies, but has
not yet been enacted by the Government (Amnesty International, 2015). This has lead to women
being underrepresented in positions of leadership and governance. Women’s involvement in
government and politics is important because studies have shown a clear correlation between
empowered female political leadership and increased living standards, education, infrastructure,
healthcare and peace (Salik, 2014). In Sierra Leone, women hold the right to vote, and there has
been an increasing trend in women’s voting participation and registration. However,this high
number of women registered as voters does not automatically result in more women being elected
to positions of power, as husbands or other patriarchal figures often influence their voting
decisions (United States Department of State, 2013) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
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Compared to the numbers of women holding or being elected to positions of power since 2002,
little progress has been made. Looking at numbers of women in governance institutions in 2013,
only 14 out of 124 parliamentarians were women,with 2 of the 22 ministries being lead by
women. Three out of seven justices on the Supreme Court were women, including the Chief
Justice, and four of six Court of Appeal judges were women (United States Department of State,
2013) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). While we see women holding some positions of
power in governance and leadership, women in parliamentary roles often face gender-based
discrimination. Including the manner in which they are treated by the public, media and male
parliamentarians; including verbal and physical abuse in some cases and economic disadvantage
(Salik, 2014).
A U.S Department of State survey using data collected in 2010 found that men often held more
positions of power and decision-making in local governance institutions compared to women.
Leading to a self-perpetuating relationship between the low prioritisation of women’s
participation in local government and gender inequalities in participation. In local council
elections held in 2012, only 16.7% of elected mayors were women (United States Department of
State, 2013) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). In Sierra Leone, a parallel legal system of tribal
government exists alongside the central government and local councils. This tribal system is
headed by a paramount chief, candidates for the position of paramount chief are only allowed
from members of local ruling houses, where in some Northern and Eastern regions only male
candidates may apply (United States Department of State, 2013).
Overall, the labour participation rate of women, being the rate of women who were economically
active in employment between the ages of 15-64 in 2013, was 67.7%, compared to 69.9% of men
(World Bank, 2015). A recent study found that a higher number of women are employed in the
informal sector than men, with more men being employed in legislative/managerial and
professional-level jobs. With the same proportion of women and men being employed in large-
enterprises, a larger disparity was seen in medium-scale enterprises, with 63.9% of traders being
male, and 36.1% female. Conversely, a large disparity was also found in small-scale enterprises,
with 61.9% of traders being female, and 38.1% male, with many more women being employed as
hawkers than men (87.0% female, 13.0% male) (Koroma, 2014).
While results reflect that women have a high rate of employment in large-enterprises at the same
rate as men, where women held professional roles, the level of responsibility women had as
policymakers and planners remained low (Koroma, 2014). Therefore,we conclude that while
there is comparable employment rates between women and men in larger enterprises, women may
have less responsibility in decision-making. Comparatively, a smaller percentage of women hold
positions in large enterprises, while a much larger percentage of women hold positions in
informal or small enterprises,generally in less skilled roles with less responsibility and role in
decision-making. This may be due to reduced access to education and cultural barriers (Salik,
2014).
Section 3. Access to education for girls, teenage pregnancy and forced and early
marriages
The World Bank and UNESCO provide similar statistics for the literacy rate (generally including
numeracy) for female youth aged 15-24, at 55.6-56%, compared to 73% of boys in the same age
group, in 2013 (World Bank, 2015) (UNESCO,n.d). UNESCO and the World Bank also give
similar literacy rates among adults (aged over 15), with women at 35%, compared to 56.6-76% of
men in 2013 (UNESCO,n.d) (World Bank, 2015). The wide gender discrepancy in
literacy/numeracy rate shows us the effect of gender on education, with boys having a higher rate
of literacy than girls. The reasons for this educational discrimination based on gender can be due
to many factors, including social, cultural, caste and other forms of discrimination against girls
6. 5
(UNESCO,n.d). To understand the difference in literacy rates between genders for both youth
and adults, we can compare the rate of girls and boys enrolled in primary and secondary school.
Comparing enrolment rates in primary school, we can see that the rate of girls who remain
enrolled through to the end of primary school was 47.9% in 2012, and 47.6% of boys. However,
of those who were enrolled in 2013, only 69.5% of girls fully completed primary school
compared with 72.6% of boys (World Bank, 2015). We also note that many girls and boys repeat
years of primary education (13.8% girls and 13.7% boys in 2013), for a variety of reasons. We
highlight the high pupil-teacher ratio in primary school, at 34.8 pupils per teacher, and a low
government expenditure on education as possible reasons for the high repeater rate (World Bank,
2015). Generally, comparing the rates of access to education between genders,we conclude that
the differences are small at the primary level.
One factor likely affecting the low average rate of girls enrolled in primary school is the relatively
high percentage of girls aged 7 to 14 who work in employment. As of 2013, the percentage of
girls who were listed as simultaneously attending school and engaged in employment was 74.7%,
compared to 71.9% of boys. While the percentage of girls in employment only, and not enrolled
in school, was 25.3% in 2013, compared to 28.1% of boys (World Bank, 2015). Therefore,we
can say that many boys and girls are not enrolled in school, with most who are attending school,
also working throughout primary school studies. We posit that this may have an effect on school
performance,affecting grades and ability to learn, which may also contribute to the high repeater
rate in primary school.
On a positive note, there has been a significant increase in primary school attendance for children
in Sierra Leone generally, with a large portion of these being girls. This is due largely to the
implementation of the Education Act (2004),which makes basic education compulsory, reaffirms
gender equality in schooling, and instituted the abolishment of primary school fees (Annex 1).
We can see that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of all children completing primary
education is still not a reality, as a high percentage of primary-school-aged children are currently
not enrolled. Therefore,we suspect that the MDG to have all children complete a full course of
primary schooling by 2015 is unlikely to be reached (Koroma, 2014) (Government of Sierra
Leone, 2014).
Again, to understand the gender-based difference in literacy rate,we can compare the rate of girls
and boys enrolled in secondary school. Comparing enrolment rates in secondary school in 2013,
we can see that the rate of girls enrolled was 46.7%,compared to 53.3% of boys. We also note
that some girls and boys repeat years of secondary education (7.6% girls and 6.9% boys in 2012).
This may be due to many reasons, including the pupil-teacher ratio in secondary school at 20.7
pupils per teacher (though this is much lower than primary), and the low government expenditure
on education (World Bank, 2015). Using these statistics and recent studies, we conclude that the
gender disparity in access to education is smaller at the primary level compared to the secondary
level, where girls’ enrolment decreases as the level of education increase (Koroma, 2014).
One factor also likely explaining the lower average rate of girls enrolled in secondary school and
the repeater rate,is the high percentage of secondary-school-aged girls (aged 15 to 24) engaged in
employment - at 48% in 2013, compared to only 40.1% of boys (while the rate of youth employed
while also attending secondary school is unknown) (World Bank, 2015). Generally, we can say
that many boys and girls are not enrolled in secondary school, and we may assume that many who
are attending secondary school are also engaged in employment. Since the employment rate for
youth at secondary-school age is higher amongst girls than boys, we can assume that more boys
are enrolled in school, completing studies and having less employment responsibilities compared
to girls.
A recent study based on results taken from comprehensive questionnaires from a broad range of
respondents in Sierra Leone, gives reasons for non-completion by those respondents had not
completed their schooling. The largest number of respondents gave financial constraints (66.1%)
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as the reason for not completing school, with the second highest reason being pregnancy (21.5%),
and lastly, pressures to stay home and support parents (6.4%). Others stated the reason as doing
business, with this category being mostly women and girls. Additionally, another 6% dropped out
for other reasons,including early marriage, farming or religious and traditional barriers (Koroma,
2014). Others reasons include school location, being located far from rural centres,and that the
school environment may not be conducive to learning, such as inadequate physical infrastructure,
a gender insensitive teaching-learning processes,and a low number of female teachers
(Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). We also note that it is common for pupils in school to
experience physical, psychological and sexual violence, with 30% of rape cases in 2010 being
school-related with perpetrators being teachers or peers (Concern Worldwide et al, 2010).
In Sierra Leone, early marriage (marriage before the age of 18) is prohibited by the Registration
of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act (2007) and the Child Rights Act (2007),where both laws
require consent to approve a marriage (OECD,2014). However, even with girls being protected
under the law, the incidence of forced and early marriage continues, with the prevalence of early
marriage being highest in northern areas. One statistic states that 48% of women aged 20-24
reported having an early marriage (United States Department of State,2013). A 2010 survey
indicates that 16.2% of women aged 15-49 were married before the age of 15 and that 50.3% of
women aged 18-49 we married before the age of 18. This may be due to a loophole in the
Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act (2009),which allows customary marriage
to proceed with parental consent in the case where one of the parties is underage (OECD, 2014).
High levels of early marriage are generally associated with rural residency, and lower levels of
women’s education and household wealth (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
The World Bank gives the adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women aged 15-19) at 97.6 in
2013 (World Bank, 2015). With such a high rate of pregnancy among school-aged girls, it is
unfortunate that young pregnant women’s ability to continue their education is currently being
threatened by the Minister of Education in Sierra Leone, Dr. Minkailu Bah, who stated during a
press conference that girls whose pregnancies are visible, would not be allowed in schools or to
take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), stating poor recent test performance as
a reason for the decision (Kamara,2015). This measure was supported by the Conference of
Principals, a grouping of principals from all over the country, who stated the negative influence of
pregnant girls on other students as a reason for their support of the decision, with the chairman of
the Conference of Principals, Sylvester Meheux, stating that “others will copy that example, and
we’ll have a lot of them [pregnant girls] in our school system” (Bagnetto, 2015).
Many schools located in areas affected by Ebola closed for a period of eight months during the
height of the crisis in 2014, with schools re-opened in April 2015 (Bagnetto, 2015). A high
pregnancy rate during the eight-month school closure period during the Ebola epidemic can be
seen. Reasons for this increased pregnancy rate as described by Amnesty International’s West
Africa researcher Sabrina Mahtani include a reported increase in sexual violence and pressure on
girls to engage in transactional sex due to the harsh economic impacts of Ebola. International
human rights groups have criticised the decision made by the Minister of Education and the
Cabinet, with Amnesty International, UNICEF and human rights activists affirming that all girls,
no matter whether they are pregnant or not, have the right to attend school. Access to education is
a fundamental human right, and this policy is a clear violation of that right, ultimately punishing
the victims of Ebola (Bagnetto, 2015).
Section 4. Legal, cultural, tribal and religious restrictions on women
According to centraljudicial law conducted in the capital Freetown, either the husband or wife in
a marriage has the legal right to buy and own property in their name. In the case of divorce,
women are not forced to return dowries; as gifts, payments, or dowries given upon marriage are
8. 7
classed as non-refundable (The Registration of Customary Marriages and Divorce Act 2007). The
Devolution of EstatesAct (2007) gives sons and daughters the same rights to inheritance in the
case of a deceased parent,however, this is rarely enforced due to lack of knowledge of rights law
(OECD,2014).
A clause at the beginning of the Devolution of Estates Act 2007 states, “This Act shall not apply
to family property, chieftaincy property or community property held under customary law”
(OECD,2014). All rural areas, excluding the capital of Freetown, practice customary law. With
customary law under traditional justice systems governing cases of family law, marriage, divorce,
property, inheritance and land tenure. As a contradiction, under judicial law a woman may own
property or land under her name; however, women living in rural south and eastern areas
governed by traditional law do not have the right to own property or land. The customary law
guiding these traditional justice systems is not codified, with decisions being inconsistent between
similar cases. In cases of enforcing gender equality law, enforcement is inconsistent, where many
traditional courts ignore women’s rights in cases regarding family law and inheritance (United
States Department of State,2013) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
Specific cases where traditional law discriminated against women include cases where Chiefs
colluded with men to evict women and children forcibly from their homes or subject them to
arbitrary detention. Other cases included Chiefs imposing disproportionally large fines, unlawful
imprisonment of women and expelling women from the community. The rights and status of
women under customary law are generally inferior compared to men, where the status of a
woman is equal to a minor, and varies significantly depending on ethnic group. Under this law, a
woman is often viewed as being owned as a piece of property by her husband, where she will be
inherited along with property in the case of his death (United States Department of State, 2013).
A new bill under the review of the government, called the Matrimonial CausesBill, would give
women and men in customary marriages the same rights in their ability to file for divorce, transfer
property and gain custody of children upon divorce. This is important, as in some areas marriages
under customary law require women to return dowries in the case of divorce, and women have no
right to custody of children. Whereas a man may file for divorce for many reasons including
wife’s disobedience, laziness, or refusal to convert to the husband’s religion, under customary
law, women in marriages may not have the right to apply for divorce for reasons including
slander, persistent adultery, or refusal to convert to her religion. While the practice of polygamy
is punishable by eight years in prison, being prohibited under Sierra Leone’s PenalCode, the
practice is permissible under customary law. Polygamy is common in rural areas, as 34% of
women aged 15-49 were in a polygamous marriage in 2010 (OECD,2014).
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is described as the process of excision, or genital cutting. The
traditional practice of FGM remains common in Sierra Leone, and is performed by women
society leaders. The practice is often done to young girls at the request of their mothers, with
reports of girls as young as 2 years old undergoing FGM. In 2010, approximately 88% of women
aged 15-49 had undergone FGM in some form (United States Department of State, 2013) (OECD,
2014). While there is no specific law prohibiting FGM, the Child Rights Act (2007)prohibits
subjecting those under the age of 18 to “torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
punishment including any cultural practice which dehumanises or is injurious to the physical and
mental welfare of a child”. Whilst the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs
interprets this act as relating to the practice, FGM is not specifically stated in the legislation
(OECD,2014).
The Maputo Protocol is a human rights instrument for African women, including provisions
addressing issues affecting women such as economic empowerment, violence against women and
food security. The Maputo Protocol was signed in 2003 by the Government of Sierra Leone, but
is the last country in West Africa to have not yet ratified the Protocol (UN Women, 2014). While
no reference is made to FGM in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, or the 2007 Child Rights
Act specifically, a clause is included in the Maputo Protocol that abolishes FGM (UN Women,
9. 8
2014) (United States Department of State, 2013). While this clause remains controversial, in an
interview with the Awareness Times in 2014, Minister Moijue Kaikai of the Social Welfare,
Gender and Children’s Affairs, stated that the Maputo Protocol to the African Charter is due to be
adopted, and will likely include a reservation banning the practice of FGM (Samba, 2014).
However,the Government stance noted by Minister Moijue Kaikai is to postpone the practice
until the age of 18, while the United Nations urges a “zero tolerance” stance on FGM (UN
Women, 2014).
Section 5. Gender violence and women and armed conflict
The civil conflict of Sierra Leone ran from 1992 to 2002, where an estimated 2 million people
became refugees or displaced persons, and an estimated 20,000 deaths due to the conflict. It was
common during the civil confect for girls and young women to be forced into marry rebel
fighters, with the “marriage” amounting to little more than sexual and domestic slavery in many
cases (OECD,2014) (UNDP,2015). In Sierra Leone, the severe suffering, mental, physical and
psychological injury resulting from the practice of forced marriage has been recognised, with the
practice being judged a crime against humanity (World Health Organisation, 2015).
The Clean Bill of Health on Peace and Stability handed to the Government of Sierra Leone by the
United Nations Integrated Peace-building mission on March 6, 2014, marked the end to the
peacekeeping mission (UN Women, 2014). However, there remain thousands of cases of crimes
committed that have not been investigated (Amnesty International, 2015). The effects of the civil
war on the population, especially women, persist. Many women remain traumatised from its
effects including rape,forced abortions and social shunning due to births as a result of being
raped during wartime, with as many as 275,000 women and girls being victims of rape. A
reparations program has been launched in Sierra Leone in 2009, where the state is to pay
reparations to victims of human rights violations during the period of civil war (OECD,2014)
(Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
The Sexual Offenses Act 2012 gives harsher penalties for those found to have committed rape,
and includes an updated definition of sexual violence. The Act prohibits spousal rape,being
punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years, and establishes the age of consent at 18.
However,this law is not adequately enforced, with Amnesty International stating that sexual and
gender-based violence against women in Sierra Leone remains a “disturbingly frequent
occurrence” (Amnesty International, 2015). Even with the establishment of the Gender Acts,
made up of Family Support Units (FSUs),there remained a steady increase in reports of rape,
especially in cases of children and youth. In a 2010 study, two-thirds of school-aged girls reported
experiencing some form of sexual violence, occurring at home, community or school settings.
Most cases of rape were settled out of court, due to low capacity and corruption in the legal
system and women’s lack of income. Thus in this system, the rape of women and girls with a lack
of consequences is perpetuated (United States Department of State, 2013) (OECD, 2014)
(Amnesty International, 2015) (Concern Worldwide et al, 2010).
The Domestic Violence Act (2007) states that domestic violence is a criminal offence, punishable
by up to 2 years in prison, and a fine of $1,160. Despite this act,domestic violence and rape
remain common, with police officers being generally unwilling to intervene in domestic disputes
(United States Department of State, 2013). FSU’s reported over 4,000 cases of domestic abuse
between January and September 2014, of which only 112 cases resulted in convictions (OECD,
2014). Reasons why cases of rape or violence against women remains unreported as given by
NGO’s, include social stigma, fear of violent retaliation, and also psychological reasoning in
cases of domestic violence. Wife beating is justified for reasons including the wife going out
without telling her husband, neglecting their children, refusing sex, or burning food. In general,
10. 9
these factors have lead to an underreporting of violence and rape against women and girls,
particularly in Northern Sierra Leone (United States Department of State, 2013) (OECD,2014).
The psychological and medical services available to rape victims are limited at best. Where
historically victims were made to pay expensive fees to complete medical reports to bring charges
against offenders, some services are now made available to women to perform medical
examinations, provide counselling and legal assistance. The Sexual OffensesAct (2012) provides
that expenses of the victim are to be free,however, in reality women are regularly required to pay
for these services themselves (United States Department of State, 2013) (OECD,2014). We also
note gaps in the circumstances of rape covered by the Sexual Offenses Act. It covers caseswhere
teachers are found to be abusing students, but does not cover cases of sexual harassment in
employment or by those in a position of power or authority specifically (OECD,2014).
Section 6. Poverty, women’s socio-economic role and food security
Since 2003, poverty rates have decreased from 66.4 to 52.9%. There is a much higher rate of
poverty in rural areas,compared to urban areas,however,the poverty rate of those living in the
capital Freetown, increased over this period (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). Gender
inequality is an extremely important variable, as a higher rate of gender inequality has a negative
effect on economic growth and poverty reduction. There is a self-perpetuating relationship
between gender inequality and poverty, where poverty exacerbates gender inequality and vice
versa (Koroma, 2014). For example, as very few women have access to land rights, this restricts
access to bank loans, as most financial institutions require land as a guarantee for the loan. Many
women are required to take loans from local moneylenders who charge a very high interest rate,
often exacerbating financial stress (OECD,2014). In addition to this lack of access to economic
resources,women’s poverty is also directly related to lack of access to; land ownership,
inheritance, education, support services and minimal participation in decision-making processes
(UN Women, 2014).
Women currently greatly contribute to the economy of Sierra Leone. Agriculture contributes 40-
50% of GDP annually, with women making up the majority of employment in the agriculture
sector. However,with better access to technological and financial resources, formal education to
improve literacy and numeracy, and tertiary-level training for employment in sectors currently
dominated by men, the contribution of women to the economy can be maximised. As most
households are not supported by large financial institutions, greater access to financial services
such as micro-loans, can increase women’s economic output, help alleviate poverty and
contribute more to the economy, with the potential to positively impact gender-dynamics
(Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). The National Poverty Reduction Strategy (2013-2018), the
newest strategy of national development in Sierra Leone, will cut across all sectors including
education, health, agriculture, environment, industry, infrastructure and human resource
development, aiming to solve systemic issues (UN Women, 2014) (Annex 1).
Sierra Leone is classified as a Low Income Food Deficit Country (LIFDC), 70% of the population
live below the national poverty line, with 35% being undernourished. Food security is a national
concern with such a high percentage of the population living in poverty. Those who are most
affected are low-income households in urban areas and small-landholder farmers (FAO,2013).
58% of the total land area of Sierra Leone is used for agricultural purposes with the two main
crops being rice and cassava,with livestock also being an important component. However,only
15% of the available arable land is currently being effectively used. 60% of the population are
employed in the agricultural sector, with both women and men farming land and 87-94% of
household income coming from crops (FAO, 2013) (World Food Programme,et al. 2011).
11. 10
Food insecurity increases during the low growth season from June to August, with 45% of the
population not receiving enough food during this time. Households spend 63% of their total
expenditure on food on average,where 52% of households borrow money to buy food, with
markets being the main source of food. Therefore,any increase in food prices poses a serious
threat to food security for the population (World Food Programme,et al. 2011). Reduced nutrition
results from food insecurity, with evidence of growth stunting seen in 34% of children under the
age of 5 in 2010, with the rate of malnutrition being higher in girls than boys. Acute malnutrition
in non-pregnant women aged 15-49 was 4.5%, and 3.5% in pregnant women (FAO,2013) (World
Food Programme, et al. 2011). The lack of adequate nutrition is due to reduced calorie intake,
with 42% of the total calorie intake being rice, 10% by cassava and 9% by palm oil. Meat makes
up only 4% of the total calorie intake. This low amount of consumed protein can lead to
developmental problems (FAO, 2013).
Section 7. Infant and maternal mortality rate, access to health care, family planning
and the state of reproductive rights
The mortality rate of infants under 5 was 160.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 (World Bank,
2015). This high infant mortality rate (IMR) could be decreased with adequate access to family
health care services to reduce cases of malaria, and improved sanitation facilities to decrease the
spread of communicable diseases,including diarrhoea. As the percentage of the population
having access to improved sanitation facilities, including improved toilet facilities in 2012 in
Sierra Leone was only 13%, compared to the higher rate of Sub-Saharan Africa more generally, at
29.6% (World Bank, 2015) (Government of Sierra Leone, 2014). Another reason for the high
infant mortality rate can be ascribed to infant malnutrition. Where the percentage of children
under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the
international reference population (ages 0-59 months), was 18.1% in 2013 (World Bank, 2015).
A report measuring the change in maternal mortality rates (MMR) in Sierra Leone from 1990 to
2013, found a 4% annual rate decrease. From a maternalmortality ratio of 2300 deaths per
100,000 live births in 1990, to 1100 deaths per 100, 000 live births in 2013 (World Health
Organisation, 2014). Whilst the maternal mortality rate has decreased over recent decades,it is
still too high. The percentage of births attended by skilled health workers was only 59.7% in
2013, however, 97.1% of pregnant women received prenatal care (World Bank, 2015). This
shows that many women are not receiving adequate access to health care during childbirth, which
is a contributing factor to the high maternal mortality rate. Other reasons for the high rate include
a lack of well-equipped maternity units, blood banks and trained health professionals
(Government of Sierra Leone, 2014).
High fertility, infant and maternal mortality rates can be decreased with adequate access to family
planning services including access to contraceptives. However, data shows a low contraceptive
prevalence, with only 16.6% of women aged 15-49 having access to contraceptives in 2013
(World Bank, 2015). A human rights report for Sierra Leone using data provided by NGOs
reported that 70% of women of reproductive age participated in family-planning decisions and
had access to contraceptive options. However,while women’s knowledge of contraception is
high, the actual use is low, with the prevalence of contraceptive use ranging from 8-20% (United
States Department of State,2013), and 6.7% among married women (OECD,2014). We also find
a difference between contraceptive use comparing urban and rural areas,with only 3.8% in rural
areas,compared to 14.2% in urban areas (OECD,2014).
Reasons for reduced access to and use of contraceptives for women include the lack of family-
planning services to those in rural areas. There is also a common misunderstanding of the
population that taking contraceptives as a young adult can reduce the ability to bear children in
later life. Also, in a marriage it is more often the husband who makes final decisions concerning
12. 11
health care (United States Department of State,2013) (OECD,2014). The practice of abortion is
mostly illegal in Sierra Leone, being legal only in cases where the pregnant woman’s mental or
physical health is in danger, or where her life is threatened. An Abortion Bill drafted in 2012
legalising the practice of abortion for certain socio-economic reasons has faced significant delays
in its adoption due to traditional and religious beliefs (OECD,2014).
Reasons for the high general mortality rate and low life expectancy (45 years) can be ascribed to
many factors, including a lack of access to basic health care facilities, and the high incidence of
communicable diseases due to the lack of access to adequate sanitation facilities. Focusing on
communicable diseases, Sierra Leone had a much higher incidence of Tuberculosis, at 313 cases
per 100,000 people in 2013. Compared to the average of Sub-Saharan Africa (developing
countries only), at 282 cases per 100,000 people (World Bank, 2015) (Government of Sierra
Leone, 2014). We note a success story,with the low prevalence of HIV at only 1.5% of the
population aged 15-49 in 2013, being much lower than other developing countries in Sub-Saharan
Africa, with an average of 4.6% (World Bank, 2015).
Sierra Leone was one of the three countries hardest hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD),which
began in May 2014, with an end to the disease announced in November 2015. Causing between
8,000 to 14,000 cases of the disease with approximately 50% of cases being women, with a
fatality rate of 35% in Sierra Leone, the disease deepened the health challenges faced by women
(UN Women, 2014) (UNDP, 2015) (Botelho, 2015). Many NGOs reported the disproportionate
effect on women, including the treatment of those quarantined during the outbreak (Amnesty
International, 2015). Women have had a high rate of infection, due to their roles as caregivers,
nurses, and mothers within disease-affected communities, putting them at direct risk of
transmission via bodily fluids. As in other epidemics such as HIV/AIDS,adolescent girls,
pregnant women and young women were among the most at risk due to cultural marginalisation
(UNDP,2015).
Through the United Nations Country Team lead by UN Women, women have expressed concerns
about the security threat caused by the disease,citing examples of women being deliberately
infected by Ebola, from husbands who have survived the disease, including the rape of a 15-year
old girl in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone. There are also cases of surviving women being
accused of infecting their husbands, and subsequently being disowned by the family of the
deceased husband (UN Women, 2014). Pregnant women are especially vulnerable, due to the
excessive bleeding caused by the disease,women going into labour often dying, and through the
process of childbirth passing the virus onto the baby. Health professionals were often reluctant to
assist with infected women giving birth, due to the high rate of disease transmission from patient
to carer (UNDP,2015).
Ebola has decreased the ability of Sierra Leone to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) including maternal and child health, education and poverty reduction, affecting food
production, availability, trade and prices and therefore household, community and national level
food security (UN Women, 2014). With the weakening of the health system, and reduction in use
of health services, especially amongst pregnant women, there is a fear that maternal health
indicators will decrease and gains will be lost (UNDP,2015).
Section 8. Women’s organisations
A project run by CPA UK in Sierra Leone working on issues to the benefit of women includes the
capacity building project for increasing the involvement of women in government and politics in
Sierra Leone. The project provided communications training, networking experience and
shadowing opportunities for eight women from Sierra Leone, in the UK. It embeds training
techniques with the purpose of empowering individual women parliamentarians to be more
effective role models, public speakers,and more influential in the political arena (Salik, 2014).
13. 12
During a visiting delegation of African women to Sierra Leone from 7-10th
April 2014, women
from other African countries shared their experiences in fighting towards ending the practice of
Female Genital Mutilation in their communities. Through increasing social awareness,public
campaigns including public knife dropping ceremonies, investing in girls education and
encouraging an intergenerational dialogue on the issue (UN Women, 2014).
On-going campaigns run by UN Women in Sierra Leone working on issues to the benefit of
women include the “HeForShe” global campaign, aiming to engage men and boys on the issue of
gender equality. Other on-going programmes and projects run by UN Women in Sierra Leone in
2014-2015 include; adolescent reproductive and maternal health during Ebola, working with
traditional leadership mechanisms to prevent EVD infection and effective case management from
a gender perspective, engendering the constitutional review process,and the Ebola gender impact
assessment. A 2015-2016 project includes improving maternal outcomes in the context of Ebola
(Beijing+20 Campaign), and a 2014-2016 project includes working with Ebola survivors from a
gender perspective (UN Women, 2014).
Other Women’s Organisations currently doing important work in advocating for change and
human rights of women in Sierra Leone include the NGO Womankind. Working with their local
partner, Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES),Womankind has
worked to advocate for equal rights, through increased community awareness of rights, providing
legal training and assistance in cases of violence against women, and training of authority
representatives on the rights of women (Womankind, n.d). Local NGO, ActionAid Sierra Leone,
works in seven districts, runs education training and campaigns, and advocates for women’s
rights to education, food access and health (ActionAid, n.d).
Section 9. Conclusion and Recommendations
While there has been progress in the area of primary school education, with the enrolment of girls
and boys being generally equal due to the abolishment of primary school fees,wider differences
are seen in secondary levels. The lower numbers of girls enrolled in secondary schooling is due to
many factors, including economic hardship, and reflects wider customary and traditional norms
that attach less value to girls’ education, particularly in rural areas. Economic hardship leads to a
high employment rate of school-aged children, especially girls. Cultural or religious views of the
traditional role of the girl in society leads to early marriage, with early marriage and the high
prevalence of rape causing a high rate of teenage pregnancy.
We recommend the continued extension of free primary school tuition for girls, to reduce
financial barriers in the attendance of girls in school, and an improvement in access to secondary
school for girls. To achieve this, we especially recommend focusing on the critical issue of early
and forced marriages of young girls; as coupled with high illiteracy and a lack of access to
adequate health facilities, causes on-going poverty and health problems. We also highly
recommend the abolishment of any plans barring pregnant girls from attending secondary school,
citing basic human rights access to education, with a possible legislative prevention to any further
threat to pregnant girls’ school attendance.
We find that there is a self-perpetuating relationship between gender inequality: women’s lack of
access to education, and their contribution to the labour market and governance systems.
Although women make up half of the current labour force, they are largely employed in informal
sectors and small-scale enterprises. Women generally enter the labour market with fewer
educational qualifications and skills and have a much lower rate of literacy compared to men, due
to having completed less years of formal education. Without a sustained increase in education for
women, there is a domino effect throughout society that will create on-going challenges in the
14. 13
achievement of gender equality in governance, women’s empowerment and the successful
implementation of the BDPfA.
There are low numbers of women both in judicial and traditional customary governance roles,
rather holding positions in informal or small enterprises, generally in less skilled roles with less
responsibility and role in decision-making. Therefore, priorities and agendas may be defined
without meaningful input from women, thus leading to those issues affecting women and girls
directly having less priority on the country agenda. The reduced numbers of women in roles in
local governance institutions have also lead to policies and programmes that discriminate against
women, or do not take their considerations to heart. However,we find examples where significant
strides have been made in the inclusion of women and their power and influence on the local and
national levels.
We recommend more effective implementation of the legislations, policies, plans and protocols
that protect women - especially, more effective enforcement of rape and domestic violence cases
through effective implementation of the Sexual Offenses Act and Domestic Violence Act. Policy
gaps between traditional customary and judicial law must be closed, to strengthen protections for
women living in areas governed by customary law, especially in cases of family law, marriage,
divorce, custody of children, dowries, property rights and transference,inheritance and land
tenure. Specifically, we recommend the swift legislation of the Matrimonial CausesBill,to close
the gaps between traditional customary law and judicial law in these cases. In regards to the rights
of the girl-child, we recommend that laws that allow harmful traditional practices including FGM,
and early or forced marriage are reviewed, loopholes in laws are closed and legalisations
abolished. In the case of FGM, we recommend the swift adoption and ratification of the Maputo
Protocol, including a reservation banning the practice of FGM.
We recommend improved access to health care services to reduce cases of malaria, and improved
sanitation facilities to decrease the spread of communicable diseases. Improved access to health
care services will decrease the high infant and maternal mortality rate, especially through
increased investment in highly skilled health workers to attend child births, well-equipped
maternity units and blood banks. We also recommend improving access to family planning
services, including access to contraceptives and information dissemination, especially in rural
areas,with a swift adoption of the Abortion Bill 2012,to legalise abortions in cases of financial
stress. In addition, we recommend improved access to medical services, counselling and legal
assistance available to rape victims, and payments of reparations to victims of human rights
violations during the period of civil war.
Whilst some progress has been made on a range of issues, we also see significant challenges
requiring continued support over the coming decades,from human rights bodies, women’s
organisations and other advocacy groups, including the continued impact of the civil war, and
harmful traditional practices including FGM, polygamy, and early and forced marriage. We
conclude that women must be further integrated into the development process through increasing
social, economic, and political equality, access to fundamental human rights, and improvements
in nutrition, basic health, and education, in order to improve livelihoods of all people of Sierra
Leone. This report concludes that while efforts have been made to improve the lives of women in
Sierra Leone, much systemic discrimination consistently persists, and may be likely to persist
unless customary and traditional norms change.
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Annex 1.
List ofLaws, Policies and Action Plans
1. Agenda for Prosperity: Sierra Leone’s Third Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2013-2018) -
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/sierraleone/docs/projectdocuments/povreduction/undp_sle_
The%20Agenda%20for%20Prosperity%20.pdf
2. Child Rights Act, 2007 - www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2007-7p.pdf
6. Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 - http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/constitution1991.pdf
7. Devolution of Estates Act,2007 - www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2007-21p.pdf
8. Domestic Violence Act,2007 - www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2007-20p.pdf
9. Education Act, 2004 - www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2004-2p.pdf
