CELEBRATING WOMEN,S HISTORY MONTH AND LOOKING TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 FREETOWN 000163

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W - OKEDIJI, AF/PDPA - LISENBY, G/IWI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPAO KWMN PHUM SL
SUBJECT: CELEBRATING WOMEN,S HISTORY MONTH AND LOOKING TO
THE FUTURE

REF: A. 2007 FREETOWN 379


B. 2007 FREETOWN 386

Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (U) SUMMARY: To honor Women's History Month in Freetown,
post hosted a series of events and programs aimed at
empowering women with knowledge and providing forums through
which to share information and ideas. The recent passage of
three gender bills created a foundation and focus for most of
the events, providing post with an opportunity to applaud
government and civil society for their commitment to
furthering gender equality, but also reminding them that
considerable work in this area remains. The Ambassador and
embassy staff will continue to play an active and vocal role
in promoting women's empowerment through outreach and
programming, while also reiterating to the upper echelons of
government that women's equality is an imperative strategic
element in Sierra Leone's development. END SUMMARY.


SEIZING THE MOMENT: THE PASSAGE OF GENDER BILLS GIVES NEW
HOPE FOR EQUALITY



2. (U) The commemoration of Women's History Month in Freetown
was particularly timely given the recent passage of three
pieces of gender legislation, granting women improved
protections in the areas of marriage, inheritance, and
domestic violence (see reftel B). Approval of these laws is
an excellent step towards gender equality by guaranteeing
women's social and economic security. Despite the
significance of these laws, however, discussions with women
activists revealed that the provisions of the gender bills
are not widely known among even the most educated classes of
Sierra Leonean women.


3. (U) Access to, and knowledge of, critical pieces of
legislation by the public is a noted problem in Sierra Leone.
An additional grave problem is the limited infrastructure
with which to implement new legislation. Besides the lack of
general public awareness, the implementers themselves, such
as law enforcement and the judiciary, have received limited
outreach and training on the new provisions. A group of women
activists attending a luncheon hosted by the Ambassador on
March 26 highlighted these issues. The need for outreach is
very great, as the passage of legislation has minimal impact
if neither officials nor the public have the tools with which
to ensure its effective implementation. Providing women with
knowledge of their rights under these codes ensures that they
can demand action if those rights are violated, and will give
strength to their collective voice to publicly call for full
and active enforcement of the laws.


4. (U) On March 27 the Ambassador hosted a panel discussion
on the gender bills that included representatives from the
legal, parliamentary, and faith communities. Two leaders of
the women lawyers' association, Sally Khatumal and Fatmata
Bintu Alhadi, gave detailed overviews of the provisions of
the laws. Member of Parliament Dr. Bernadettte Lahai
discussed the process by which the laws were enacted and the
follow-up needed to ensure implementation. Freetown's chief
imam, Sheikh Abu Bakarr Conteh, discussed the laws' parallels
with Muslim law and their impact on customary law .The hall
was packed with a mixture of government leaders who supported
and opposed the legislation, gender rights activists,
educators, and women who have been targeted for elections
training by the USAID-funded National Democratic Institute.
Participants expressed their thanks for an extremely
informative and useful forum.


SHARING THE SIERRA LEONE EXPERIENCE: WOMAN JUDGE ATTENDS
WOMEN AND JUSTICE ROUNDTABLE



5. (U) Embassy Freetown nominated and funded, with assistance
from AF/PD, the attendance of a female Sierra Leonean judge
to attend the Secretary's Round Table on Women and Justice in
Washington, DC on March 12. Justice Salimatu Koroma, who sits
on the appellate court, represented the women of Sierra Leone
at the sessions. She made valuable contacts with peers from a
variety of countries, sharing ideas and encouragement on
overcoming obstacles which women around the world experience
working in and through their country's judicial systems.
Sierra Leone has several female judges, including, most
notably, the Acting Chief Justice, but there is a need for
more equitable gender representation on the bench. Post will
continue to search for opportunities to support and encourage
the current cadre of female judges.

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AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL WELFARE,
GENDER, AND CHILDREN'S AFFAIRS



6. (C) On March 27, Ambassador and poloff met with Minister
of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children's Affairs (MSWGCA)
Musu Kande. The Ambassador expressed her interest in, and
support of, the issues relevant to the Ministry, and asked
Minister Kande to provide information on her priorities and
how the U.S. Government could assist in meeting those.
Minister Kande noted the passage of the gender bills and the
Children's Rights Act (see reftel A),and stated that
sensitizing the public about these pieces of legislation and
the rights of women and children is a significant challenge.
The Minister also identified the devolution of power to the
local governments as a pressing concern, as there is a need
to train officials within these governments on various
issues. Another priority for the Ministry is obtaining
additional equipment, such as computers, to improve its
efficiency.


7. (C) The Ambassador gave her support for these priorities,
and promised to consider the feasibility of providing funding
for capacity-building and awareness-raising initiatives. The
Special Self-Help and Democracy and Human Rights Funds could
be conduits through which to contribute to the efforts the
Ministry is making to improve the lives of women and children
across the country.


8. (C) COMMENT: Though not expressly mentioned during this
meeting, poloff was told by a UNICEF contact that the
Ministry is severely under-funded and that meeting their
mandate will be next to impossible. Given that gender-based
violence, child abuse, trafficking in persons, and child
labor continue to be significant problems, the need to place
more focus and resources into the Ministry is high. Thus, the
Minister's plea for technical and material assistance comes
as no surprise. UNICEF contacts, however, are growing
increasingly frustrated with constant, similar requests from
the ministry that become the focus for conversation rather
than the issues themselves. Contacts also stated the opinion
that the Minister has little sway with Koroma, and that the
administration's priorities do not appear to include social
issues. While supporting the MSWGCA is a priority of post,
reminding the government that they need to increase their
focus here is an ancillary one. The Ambassador's recent
meeting with the First Lady revealed her commitment to
women's and children's issues, and she represents an
important focal point for further engagement. END COMMENT.


SMALL FUTURE EFFORTS BY EMBASSY WILL REAP BIG REWARDS



9. (U) The need and desire for a public outreach campaign on
the gender bills is readily apparent, and the embassy
committed to holding outreach events, such as the March 27
panel, at a larger venue in Krio. A recording of this event
can then be broadcast on radio stations nationwide. In
addition, given that members of the public generally cannot
afford to purchase a copy of the legislation from the
government printing office, the embassy will explore means
through which it can be popularized, such as via the internet
or through the creation of illustrated information cards.
Outreach will also be conducted with the MSWGCA to provide
them with further information and documentation on funding
opportunities.


COMMENT



10. (U) The Women's History Month events came at an
auspicious time in Sierra Leone. The recent passage of laws
to safeguard the rights of women and children creates a
framework through which advocates, officials, and members of
the public can work to ensure political, economic, and social
security for these oft-marginalized members of the
population. In addition, the July, 2008, local elections
provide an opportunity for women to actively participate as
candidates and voters. Women activists in Freetown are a
vigorous and vocal group, but the need now is to reach and
engage women in the outlying areas, ensuring that those in
the provinces are aware of their rights and how to protect
them. The embassy will continue to play a significant role in
this effort, given our long-held recognition that women's
empowerment is a critical element in furthering Sierra
Leone's development. END COMMENT.

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PERRY