More Than Violence. Gender Opperssion in Sierra Leone

It disgusting when I realize how prevalent gender-based violence is amongst take a look at the men who are highly involved in gender-based violence in Sierra Leone, my home country. I refuse to stay quiet about this sick epidemic facing women and girls across the nation, though I have a feeling it will continue to expand into other countries, which will in turn lead to a global epidemic of violence.

Governments in other countries have implemented numerous strategies and put policies in place to work towards eradicating gender-based violence in their society. Not withstanding, local and international NGOs have had a significant role in ending violence against females also, yet there is still much to be done.

I have visited several communities across my home country and have witnessed women and girls not being listened to in their decision-making - even being deprived of their human rights. Examples include being excluded from decision-making, their choice of who to marry, education, policy-making, community engagement, their relationship to and with traditional societies, and so on. All of these examples have contributed, or are the cause of, serious problems for women and girls in this part of the world.

Women and girls are beenbeing molested by the opposite sex and , they are beingen raped after which, they got which, trauma and violation aside, also risks resultings in unwanted pregnancpregnancyy and some sexually- transmitted diseases. In some marriage homes, married men broughtlyroutinely beat their wives so badly that willit leads to them getting to sickthat medical intervention is needed, but without receiving any treatmentand received no treatment at the endnot granted.

In some part of Sierra LeoneGender-based violence in Sierra Leone is an epidemic that spreads and festers behind closed doors., it looks like w Women and girls are not respected or valued. It is because,as men are, and so the policey aredo not properlyadequately monitor situations or respond when help is needed.ing and some o Corruption in the judicial system is similarly rife; if those responsible for justice are beenbeing influenced with money, so they can notwill act to protect women seeking recourse from violent partners.

In combating this problem, the government of Sierra Leone needs to do its due diligence on all governance system, thereby wedding out remove those corrupt leaders in the justice sector and continue to monitor their everyday day workingcreating resources and avenues for both the community to correctly identify and support women suffering from abuse, and lead on educational programs to change cultural attitudes – to persuade women to leave abusive partners, and to improve attitudes amongst men towards women.

In creating change, men needs to be involved in advocacy campaigns against gender- based violence advocacy campaigns, training on how to recognize and stop aggressive or violence impulses, attend workshops, and also be given them responsibility for ways in wihchies as to how to reduce stress in their homes andso that they can how to live a life that is free of violence towards violence free life with the opposite sex.

We must reconsider what it means when we talk about women being oppressed. Sadly, there are many mechanisms of female oppression that can exist beyond the sphere of physical abuse, as is the common image we think of when we discuss gender-based violence. Economic exploitation and limitation of educational opportunity are similarly weaponized ways to keep women from embracing their full potential, and there is a dark logic to them. Economically, women and girls are not as empowered as male citizens are in order to support themselves, because when a woman is financially independent, she is less inclined to rely on a man. Accordingly, girls and women are given limited exposure to opportunities, both professional and personal. According to many of my female friends who sell food and some other items at the market place in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city, are requesting the aid or support from the Government inline with finical or skill training to become self reliance.

Likewise, education allows women to have greater independence, which is why girls must be encouraged to seek education. Girls have the same rights as boys to education and all of the benefits that result from it, but they are less likely to capitalize upon them. In every academic institution today in Sierra Leone, the enrolment for boys is much higher than girls. For me, it a great pity that girls are be less involved in academic pursuits, as this makes them less inclined to be represented in key positions in the public and private sector. To achieve genuine representation of all people in decision-making spaces, we must encourage more women and girls to learn, and ensure that we encourage the females in our own lives to embrace this right.

Three weeks back, I visited a community in the Northern part of my country, where I engaged community members who had spent the last year advocating for girls to be sent to school – not just to girls, but to their families, given that the majority of the decision-making power about whether a girl will receive an education is held by their parents. I came to the conclusion that such advocacy work lead to productive results, as there was a considerable improvement in the enrolment of girls this academic year as a result of the campaign.

Change may be coming, but it is coming far too slowly. Men who benefit from the oppression of women see no reason to change, but if they did, the amount of progress we achieve would be astronomical. If we, as men, do not act against the degradation, exploitation, and violation of women, we are complicit. Men look on while other men abuse or control women and say nothing are as bad as those who commit the act of violence, and must take great responsibility for their crimes.

I consider this my life’s work, and I will never rest if I cannot significantly reduce – and ideally, put an end - gender-based violence and so many of the other barriers that prevent the development of women and girls in my community and the country at large. We are all created equally and we should enjoy equal opportunities, regardless our gender. But first, men need to recognize a need for change.

So I’m starting with me.

Let’s get to work.

Writing by: Augustine Darius Kamanda