In Sierra Leone, female constitute approximately 51.3% (2004 Population and Housing
Census) of the total population and most of them live in rural areas, engaged
in subsistence farming, petty trade and management of the family. A gender
analysis of development issue on Sierra Leone reveals wide disparity and inequality
between women and men in economic, socio-political and cultural aspects of
development. Women like men, are involved in productive tasks where
they lag behind men in all areas of development. Some of the reasons
lie in certain traditional beliefs, values and practices that for years have
encouraged women’s subservience and inferior role-play.
Women’s issues, concerns and priorities are at the core of everything
that we do at AMNet. This is because we believe women are in the
unique position in everything that affects everyone.
In order to address the above issues women face in the country, the Women’s
Empowerment Unit has the following mandate:-
- We advocate for the rights of women to be respected and protected.
- We support women’s groups with training in entrepreneurial skills
and facilitate micro-credits for self empowerment.
- We campaign for support to women’s strategic needs especially
for maternal health, life skill training and hygiene.
- Advocate for equal rights and justice: education and violence against
women.
The Women’s Empowerment Unit is concerned about women’s issues. Although
development agencies and the Third World government are trying to formulate
and implement new policies on women’s development in Sierra Leone,
success with these policies depends on increased gender awareness amongst
development personnel.
The general lack of attention to women’s needs with the development
process stems from a general lack of gender awareness amongst those who
plan and implement development projects. This is why AMNet as an
humanitarian organization is working frantically in the area of Gender
Empowerment to address women’s issues.
As an organization we have put human rights in the context of the challenges
women face, their social responsibility; in the household the girl child
has the heaviest work load. If women are doing more, then they are
contributing more. But all over the world, Africa and Sierra Leone,
they receive less in return. This disparity between women’s
work and what they get back lies in the face of the core principles of
rights, justice and development.
We know it is no easy thing to transform the historic structures staked
against women, but we at AMNet are committed to that transformation.
We would continue in advocating for capacity building and the domesticating
of our Women’s Acts and Policies in Sierra Leone.
- Forum for Street kids and their Parents or Guardian, wherein, their
mothers were targeted to dialogue with them about an alternative source
of income they could embark on rather than begging.
- Regional Consultative Meeting on Gender and HIV/AIDS in Ouagadougou
18th – 20th March 2007.
- Campaign on Violence against Women.
- Women and Political Tolerance pre and post elections Campaign
- SCR 1325 and the Peace Building Commission - http://www.wunrn.com/news/2007
- The Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act (2007)
- The Domestic Violence Act (2007)
- The Devolution of Estate Act (2007)
- National Policy on Gender Mainstreaming
- National Policy on Women’s Empowerment
- The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against
Women. – CEDAW www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw
- Sierra Leone Genders Acts 2007
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