By Tilly Barrie
The Executive Representative of the Secretary General in Sierra Leone (ERSG) has called on women to be included in peace talks as it is a matter of gender equality and human rights.
Jens Toyberg-Frandzen was addressing women groups at Hill Valley Hotel in Freetown during this year’s UN Open Day 2013 celebration with the theme “Women in Peace Building”.
He said the UN had a whole pillar on gender and the launch of the report would give an insight into where the UN was on gender issues as well as to advance it.
The ERSG said the UN deplored any form of abuse of children and that they were working in this regard with the government and organisations. He said the world body was providing support for the constitutional review process and urged women to organise to be able to reach out to articulate their concerns as the constitution was a property of all Sierra Leoneans.
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Mustapha Bai Atilla spoke about what he said his ministry and government had been doing in advancing gender issues. He said government was committed to gender equality and women empowerment as represented in Pillar 8 of the Agenda for Prosperity document.
During presentations, it came out clearly that there had been a dramatic increase in gender-based violence and the convictions for such were described as being “shamefully low” with an “ineffective” judicial system.
The presenters asked for an expansion of the police Family Support Unit to all 149 chiefdoms in the country, and underscored the urgent need for forensic DNA labs, national public awareness and protection and support of victims.
They also spoke about “discriminatory” provisions of the country’s laws, social and cultural practices which prevent women in various rural areas to equally access, control and own lands. They emphasised the need for the social rights of women and girls to be strengthened in the constitution, the right of girls to free education up to completion of secondary school for girls and the right to protection from discrimination and harassment of any nature, and the affirmative action of a 30% quota for women in government.
(C) Politico 30/10/13
