Every year, thousands of women, girls and even babies are victims of sexual and gender-based violence in Sierra Leone. In response to this growing challenge, President Julius Maada Bio declared a national emergency over the state in 2019. The declaration followed a series of relentless campaigns by grassroots groups after the rape of a five-year-old girl, who was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Prior to this development, statistics revealed that the reported cases of sexual and gender-based violence nearly doubled in the country in 2018. According to police statistics, the reported cases were over 8,500, a third of which involved minors. Activists, including First Lady Fatima Bio, said the actual figures are much higher as most cases are never reported.
Fatima Bio led a demonstration in the capital to raise awareness on the issue in December 2018. Since then she has launched a”Hands Off Our Girls” campaign across West Africa which she uses as a platform to speak against sexual violence.
This enabled the government to enact drastic measures without parliamentary approval, including the introduction of maximum life sentences for those found guilty of sexually abusing a minor.
Activists welcomed what they saw as willingness from top officials to put sexual and gender-based violence on the national agenda and tackle a taboo that has long plagued the West African country. Gender-based violence is traditionally seen as a taboo topic in Sierra Leone. Only 12 years ago, its parliament passed the first gender equality laws in 46 years of independence, following efforts by women’s rights groups.
How effective was the declaration?
It’s been one year since Bio’s announcement, as well as the quiet revoke of the state of emergency in June. There have also been different opinions regarding the effectiveness of the government’s action in creating long-term change.
“There has been a difference in the response to the issue because people are better informed. There is the political will and so the reporting of cases has increased,” said Alison French, advocacy and communications director for the Rainbo Initiative.
On the contrary, emergency measures lasted only until the June revocation, and no money was allocated to implementing promises made during the period; including free hospital care for rape survivors and a hotline for reporting abuse. Analysts have also questioned the necessity of the proclamation, saying that many of the changes could have been made through regular legal channels.
Following the end of the state of emergency, parliament passed The Sexual Offenses Amendment Act, 2019, which increased the maximum penalty for rape and sexual penetration of a child from 15 years to life imprisonment and criminalized the so-called “compromise,” in which the offence is settled by family members or village heads, without police involvement.
While some hope the amendment will act as a deterrent to attackers, others say tough sentences could discourage survivors from reporting abuse as assaults often occur in tight-knit communities and survivors may face social pressure not to come forward.
Even when armed with the tough new legislation, Sierra Leone’s legal system faces several hurdles in prosecuting sexual abuse cases. Understaffing and a lack of resources and equipment are common, while police, lawyers and judges are overworked and underpaid, Schneider said. Heavy caseloads, meanwhile, mean litigants often wait years until their cases are heard.
There is still a lot to be done to improve countrywide access to legal and health services while ensuring that everyone is treated equally before the law. Establishing forensic labs and making rape kits available would also help to strengthen the legal response to incidents of sexual and gender-based violence.
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