Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09FREETOWN304
2009-08-03 17:13:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN SIERRA LEONE

Tags:  PHUM PREL KWMN ASEC KJUS KCRM SL 
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VZCZCXRO3566
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHFN #0304/01 2151713
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031713Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY FREETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2799
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 FREETOWN 000304 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/W (JHUNTER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN ASEC KJUS KCRM SL
SUBJECT: GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN SIERRA LEONE

REF: A. STATE 64939

B. FREETOWN 250

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 FREETOWN 000304

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/FO, AF/W (JHUNTER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KWMN ASEC KJUS KCRM SL
SUBJECT: GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN SIERRA LEONE

REF: A. STATE 64939

B. FREETOWN 250


1. Summary: Gender-based violence (GBV) and inequality are
tragic norms in Sierra Leone. Long-entrenched in the culture
and reinforced during the civil war years, GBV is one of the
most significant human rights issues facing Sierra Leone
today. Though policy-makers, organizations, and the
international community are aware of the need to change this
endemic problem, effecting change in practice has been, and
will continue to be, a challenge. Despite this, a cadre of
dedicated stakeholders has been working to address these
issues, and Ambassador and other embassy officers use every
opportunity possible to discuss GBV and the need to eradicate
it. Ambassador frequently discusses GBV with high-level
government contacts, and includes it as a key talking point
at many public events. Embassy officers meet regularly with
those working on the issue across the country, both to share
information and to provide public support for their
endeavors. Political will to effectively address GBV exists
here, despite the underlying social mores that serve as an
engine to drive abuses to continue: supporting that political
will with enhanced aid and technical assistance is a critical
priority, and would be an investment that would pay back
dividends in terms of improved governance, health, education,
economic strength, and stability in the years to come. End
Summary.


2. Post is pleased to respond to the queries posed by the
Department, with information keyed to reftel A. It is
important to note that rape is just one of the problems
affecting women in Sierra Leone: domestic violence, forced
female genital mutilation, and limited access to assistance
and justice are also key issues to consider.


A. Despite limited resources, the Government of Sierra Leone
(GoSL) is engaged on the GBV issue and trying to take action
at the policy and coordination level. The National Committee
on GBV (NaC-GBV) meets once a month, and is chaired by the
Minister of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children's Affairs
(MOSWGCA). It is co-chaired by an Assistant Inspector General
from the Sierra Leone Police (SLP). Its purpose is to
coordinate the activities of other agencies working on GBV,

mobilize resources, and advocate for policy change. They
serve as subject matter experts on draft pieces of
legislation, such as the pending Sexual Offense Bill, and
encourage citizens to support them. The NaC-GBV has created
regional GBV committees in Bo, Kenema, and Makeni, and
provided training on GBV response and prevention strategies
to them. They currently do not have the funding to create
similar committees at the district level.

The GBV office within the MOSWGCA coordinates the national
response to GBV. Its activities, though, are almost
completely donor-funded: the International Rescue Committee
(IRC) funds the office's staff, while UNIFEM provides direct
donor support. The GBV office does not conduct programming
itself, but coordinates the activities of other agencies
through the NaC-GBV. The Family Support Unit (FSU) within the
SLP is the only government agency that is able to fund its
own GBV-related activities, and even it is largely
donor-supported. FSU officers are trained to handle GBV
cases, and further training is now being provided to all
police cadets entering the Academy. The Ministry of Health is
mandated to provide free medical services to victims, but in
practice this does not occur.


B. The USG does not currently provide direct funding in
Sierra Leone for efforts to combat or address GBV, though
USAID/West Africa provided funding to the IRC "Rainbo
Centers" through the West Africa Ambassador's AIDS Fund in
calendar years 2006 and 2007. The Rainbo Centers provide
medical and counseling services, and assisted 1,235 clients
at 3 centers in 2008. These Centers are the only physical
locations that victims can be referred to for services and
are considered to be highly effective. Rainbo Centers are
client-focused, meaning that they provide medical, legal
and/or counseling services depending on the desires of the
victim. Contacts noted that without the Rainbo Centers,
victims would have nowhere to turn: many expressed a desire
to have additional Centers built in the district capitals, as
well as expand into primary care facilities. Given that the
Rainbo Centers are entirely donor-funded, however, continued
care and expansion of services will only result through
additional external support. The MOSWGCA is currently
constructing two shelters on its own, but are aware of the
challenges they face once they are open to the public in
terms of maintenance and sustainability. The Ministry is also
aware that they will be unable to provide services should the
Rainbo Centers close (Note: The MOSWGCA is chronically
under-funded, even as its mandate continues to grow. End

FREETOWN 00000304 002 OF 004


Note),and have been unable to meet even basic targets, such
as providing the FSUs with social workers/counselors. Thus
far, five social workers have been posted to FSUs, but funds
for additional staff are unavailable.

Less than ten organizations provide legal aid, and some
psycho-social care is available outside of the Rainbo Centers
from private NGOs who have funding from a variety of sources.
Some private and public health centers provide medical
services, but almost always require a fee. Medical reports
provided to the courts by these institutions are usually
thrown out of court for being incomplete due to
poorly-trained staff. The country lacks a clear referral
pathway for victims, to ensure that they receive the
compliment of comprehensive services available: no case
management is provided. The Ministry, however, is attempting
to identify service providers in all areas to create a
"service map" to assist victims and organizations in
identifying services in their local area.

IRC and other NGOs conduct weekly radio programs throughout
the country on sexual exploitation and abuse. This is the
most effective medium for reaching the Sierra Leonean
audience.

Dozens of local organizations work on FGM education in rural
communities. The GoSL has not officially denounced the
practice, and there is virtually no government/SLP support
for local campaigns unless a death or serious FGM-related
injury occurred in the area.

C) GBV cases are generally not priorities in the court
system, which is generally very slow regardless of type of
crime. Sixty-five Sierra Leone Police officers completed GBV
Prosecutorial and Investigative Training in 2008 (both FSU
officers and others). IRC noted that, while the participants
appreciated the training and were able to use many techniques
for GBV and non-GBV cases, the management structure was not
in place to allow many of those trained to even work on GBV
cases. The management changed after the course and many of
the police prosecutors were assigned in different directions.
Some upcountry magistrates have been very active in pursuing
GBV cases, while others have not. Many court officials/clerks
do not take the issue seriously and anecdotal evidence
suggests that cases are frequently thrown out of court due to
lack of evidence, or that prestigious community members, such
as Paramount Chiefs and Members of Parliament, pressure the
judiciary to drop charges. Sometimes victims or their
families are bribed by their attackers to abandon the case.
Even cases that are formally pursued can result in no
prosecutions or convictions: the slowness of the process can
deter victims who either want to move on, or can no longer
afford the travel costs to and from the court.

Besides challenges on the prosecutorial side, law enforcement
can also be lax or non-existent for these crimes: many
officers have no training on GBV, and either do not
understand them or do not consider them to be crimes (even
though they are against the law). This means that justice for
victims varies radically from location to location. Even
high-level officers have taken a relaxed approach to GBV:
some FSU officers have reported that they are forced to drop
strong cases on orders from their Local Unit Commander.

Coupled with the lack of training and knowledge for law
enforcement and the judiciary, organizations point to poor
understanding of existing gender-related acts as a problem.
Many of these acts, including the Domestic Violence Act, are
relatively new (passed in 2007),and information about laws
and their appropriate implementation has yet to trickle
completely down to the district level. Organizations, such as
IRC, conduct sensitization programming in collaboration with
the FSU. These programs target communities, schools, and the
security sector.

D) The Military Police within the Republic of Sierra Leone
Armed Forces (RSLAF) conduct domestic violence training for
soldiers, having recently recognized that DV is a significant
problem in the ranks. The training program is supported by
the UK. Reported allegations of abuse are investigated, and
sources noted that the incidence has appeared to drop since
the training began. Sexual assault, however, has not been a
focus for the RSLAF.

E) The MOSWGCA has such limited capacity that they do not
have the power to advocate effectively to ensure that gender
issues are placed into general humanitarian/capacity-building
work done by other Ministries. Women's empowerment is often
spoken of, but not necessarily included in many poverty
reduction activities. The MOSWGCA trained and placed gender
focal points at all Ministries, but these positions were

FREETOWN 00000304 003 OF 004


generally too low-level to have an appreciable impact. Also,
the individuals were considered "administrators," and are
frequently transferred between ministries. However, NGOs and
UN organizations generally try to include women's empowerment
issues or a gender focus in their programs.

F) N/A

G) The Human Rights Commission has worked with Paramount
Chiefs to educate them about the Gender Acts. The purpose of
the program was to discuss the power dynamics between
customary law and legislated law, and more work needs to be
done to reinforce this point at the local level.

The MOSWGCA has also worked with Paramount Chiefs and
traditional women leaders on this issue. It was well received
and the Ministry feels that more work should be done to train
civil society members to disseminate information for the
Ministry. IRC has conducted training with male action groups,
and most organizations acknowledge that focused campaigns for
men would be helpful: such activities, however, require skill
and acumen that most organizations acknowledge they do not
have.

H) Despite the existence of the NaC-GBV, donor coordination
is still lacking. The MOSWGCA has a very small budget, and
relies on service providers to accurately report their
activities. Though the Ministry believes that most do, some
organizations discussed difficulties with overlapping GBV
programs, and donors with predetermined, duplicative project
plans. Though still in its developing stages, the NaC-GBV is
making in-roads in building stronger partnerships and trust
relationships between all GBV stakeholders, including the UN
and others agencies.


3. In a country like Sierra Leone, whose infrastructure was
decimated by the war and redevelopment hindered by poverty,
ideas for service provision are unlikely to be "new" or
"innovative." The most basic victim services are unavailable
here, and though coordination is required to prevent
duplication, significant gaps remain to be filled. The
following programming ideas would benefit victims of GBV in
Sierra Leone:

A) Strengthen support for survivors by expanding Rainbo
Center services within existing hospital structures to rural
communities. Co-locating the Centers in hospitals eliminates
construction and administrative costs for a separate
facility, and may also help to establish long-term
sustainability: the Ministry of Health is mandated to provide
services to victims, and while it currently can not, could
potentially do so in the future. IRC is very interested in
up-country expansion, but only if multi-year funding is
provided at the outset of the project. IRC's greatest concern
is that funding will end before GoSL entities can assume
responsibility for them, leaving victims unassisted.

B) Increasing access to legal aid in underserved communities
would also be extremely beneficial. The government does not
provide any form of pro bono legal services, but NGOs have
been working at the local level to fill this gap. Embassy
Freetown's recent Democracy and Human Rights Funds request
(reftel B) included a proposal from "Timap for Justice,"
which seeks to provide legal counsel to women and children in
rural areas (Note: This proposal was not selected for
funding. End Note). Since customary law is the norm outside
of Freetown, which is generally patriarchal and prone to
manipulation, providing women with the option of using the
normal judicial structure will increase their access to
justice. Pro bono services and law clinics will enable women
and children to get the full benefit of the recent acts
passed for their protection.

C) Interlocutors pointed to the need for secure shelters for
victims of abuse, or those stigmatized as a result of their
abuse. Ministry contacts advocated that such shelters be
rented, so that locations can be easily changed should
security threats arise. These contacts also spoke frankly
about their lack of capacity, and therefore interest in
seeing shelters operated by NGOs or IOs that are better able
to maintain them. Shelters, like increased Rainbo Center
coverage, will require long-term investment by donors: it is
unlikely that the GoSL will be able to sustain them in the
near- and immediate-future.

D) Though a number of organizations are already engaged in
training efforts, the need here is so great for further
education on GBV that funding would be well-used in this
capacity. Trainings could target a variety of audiences,
including the SLP, legal officers, social workers,
traditional leaders, religious leaders, and the military.

FREETOWN 00000304 004 OF 004




4. Comment: Post appreciates the opportunity to highlight
this important issue for the Department, and looks forward to
future policy and programming endeavors. GBV is a scourge in
Sierra Leone, and will take a multi-faceted approach to
address. A "Women in Crisis" component can be added to post's
existing programs on gender and the law. We hope Democracy
and Human Rights funding will be granted in future to address
the post-conflict issues of Sierra Leonean women.
Interlocutors shared their realistic thoughts about how to
move forward, recognizing cultural and infrastructural
factors that create obstacles towards ameliorating this
endemic problem. There is opportunity and optimism that a
collective effort will ultimately prevail, and result in
greater gender equality across security, economic, legal, and
social lines. Such a change would help move Sierra Leone from
the "post-conflict" phase, and into one of development. End
Comment.
PERRY