UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 28) Launched in December 2018, the Office of the First Lady led a rigorous campaign titled ‘Hands Off Our Girls’. As part of a national response against sexual and gender-based violence and related violations in the country, the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 was amended. Also, the first ‘Sexual Offences Model Court’ has been set up and launched on 24 July 2020 to try sexual violence offenders. In further fulfilment of the Government’s mandate and its determination to address this heinous crime, the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has established a team to process speedy trial of cases involving sexual and gender-based violence and related violations. Also, State Counsel have been instructed to oppose bail from perpetrators of sexual offences and to ensure that convicted sex offenders do not benefit from the power of the prerogative of mercy.
Para 29) There has been a sexual amendment (Amendment) Act, 2019. The Act increases the punishment for conviction of rape or sexual offences of minors. Before this, there was a state of emergency on rape and other offences in 2019.
Para 30) According to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) assessment report of 2020, Sierra Leone has registered remarkable strides in the improvement of policies with human rights implications. The policies calculated in percentage terms are as follows: … Gender in the economy, 61% …
Para 40) As demonstrated in the national reports Sierra Leone submitted to the First and Second Cycle reviews, significant work has been undertaken, including the passing of the undermentioned instruments, to implement many of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and to provide legislative safeguards for human rights: … • The Sexual Offences Act 2012; as amended by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, 2019;
Para 48) The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MGCA) has, since the last review, implemented a National Gender Strategic Plan. A National Steering Committee was set up for the implementation of the National Action Plan on Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820. Also, Sierra Leone is on the board of Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact and committed to undertake the following relevant policy actions including those in the national Gender Strategic plan has been finalised.
Para 49) The SLP has adopted an accelerated promotion policy for women and offers women officers' priority for training opportunities to participate in international peacekeeping missions. In February 2019, RSLAF conducted a 300 all-female recruitment and training programme. This is a cadet officer programme that offers women, especially those with Professional Qualifications (such as Medicine, Law, Accounting, Vocational Skills, etc.) to join the officer ranks of RSLAF.
Para 50) The Local Government Service Commission, the body responsible for the Local Councils has made strides incorporating women as pillars in the Commission. The Commission has five (5) Commissioners, three (3) of whom are women. The Local Government Act, 2004 stipulated that 70% of Ward Committee Members should be women.
Para 51) On 3 December 2020, the GoSL launched the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Policy. The policy aims at changing social norms and perspectives and at the same time guaranteeing equality, inclusion, and access to rights, resources and opportunity for all.
Para 65) Further to recommendations of the European Union Election Mission in 2012, NEC has set up a committee encompassing various institutions of Government. As recommended by the EU Mission, NEC has reverted to the district tally centre process; and the same is embedded in the NEC Strategic Plan 2020-2024, which was launched on 18 November 2020. Regarding the conduct of effective and sustained sensitisation and awareness-raising campaign on gender mainstreaming, NEC has established departments for sensitisation, gender and disability departments.
Para 66) GoSL launched the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment policy on 3 December 2020. Even before the launch of the policy, the Government had already taken deliberate actions to ensure gender parity. The MFAIC, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, the MGCA, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the Auditor General, are some of the highest offices of the land held by women.
Para 67) Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament increased from 12.4% in 2012 to 12.9% in 2018. The proportion of female mayors and local councillors and chairpersons increased from 18% to 28.6% over the same period.
Para 68) According to Cluster 5 of Sierra Leone’s MTNDP, 2019-2023, a key target is to ensure that more women are in a leadership position than there were in 2018 when the plan was launched.
Para 69) The Government continues to appoint women to senior governance positions. In line with the Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference at the UN in New York concerning 20% increase in female intake in RSLAF, 328 special female officer cadets were recruited.
Para 70) The Sierra Leone Police continues to implement its Gender Mainstreaming policy through accelerated promotion scheme for female personnel. This serves as incentives for women to join the SLP. In the Sierra Leone Correctional Services (SLCS), equal opportunities exist for both male and female applicants to sit entrance examination, go through the same interview process and successful candidates employed.
Para 76) The GoSL has, through NaCSA developed programmes aimed to reduce poverty and improving the economy. This programme has several components of poverty reductions, which includes the following: The Pro-Poor Growth for Peace Consolidation (GPC) Programme co-financed by the Governments of Sierra Leone and the Federal Republic of Germany aims at primarily improving the livelihoods of beneficiary communities and contributes to development and consolidation of peace, with a specific focus on employment creation and income generation for vulnerable groups (youths and women) in selected rural communities. … • Also, NaCSA has programmes aimed at addressing the plight of women, children and other vulnerable groups. Through this, NaCSA solicited funds to ensure that women and children are protected. This had been achieved through the various social protection programmes implemented nationwide with NaCSA providing income support to 2,250 women.
Para 77) Also, the War Reparation Programme, which has now ended, targeted vulnerable widows and were provided with a rehabilitation grant of Le 3.5 Billion.
Para 104) As a preventive measure, the GoSL formulated the National Male Involvement Strategy for the Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. It aims at, among other things, eradicating sexual and gender-based violence, promoting gender equality and upholding the rights and dignity of women and girls. The strategy adopts a socially transformative approach that focuses on the participation of men and boys as change agents and champions for protecting women and girls in their families, communities, schools and workplaces. It treats men not just as perpetrators of violence but as allies in changing power relations and systems in society that sustain gender inequality and violence.
Para 105) In 2019, the Government reviewed the Sexual Offences Act of 2012 and enacted the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2019 to increase the maximum penalty for Rape and Sexual Penetration of a child from 15 years’ imprisonment to a sentence of life imprisonment and introduced the new offence of aggravated sexual assault and an alternative conviction of aggravated sexual assault. Also, a ‘Sexual Offences Model Court’ has been set up to try sexual violence offenders. In 2020, the GoSL instituted a free health line for rape and SGBV victims to report the incidences. Between April and October, 2020, a total of 48,147 calls were processed.
Para 106) In further fulfilment of the Government’s mandate and its determination to address this heinous crime, the Office of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has established a team to process speedy trial of cases involving sexual and gender-based violence and related violations. Also, State Counsel have been instructed to oppose bail from perpetrators of sexual offences and to ensure that convicted sex offenders do not benefit from the power of prerogative of mercy. The FSU of the SLP is being strengthened to adequately respond to sexual and gender-based violence cases.
Para 107) From 11 to 20 May 2017, the Decentralisation Secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) held consultative meetings with all 149 Paramount Chiefs in the country. These meetings addressed issues of violence against children and women. The Paramount Chiefs prepared action plans on how to prevent violence against children and women and promoting children welfare in their communities.
Para 119) Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) which is a perennial source of human rights violations is itself a complex mix of traditional beliefs and poverty that are experienced more by women, particularly by women in the rural areas and within the urban-rural enclaves.
Para 122) In February 2019, the Government launched the MTNDP as the fourth-generation Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The key objective of the Plan is to achieve and improve education, hence a Free Quality School Education, as a basis for the development of human capital to facilitate the transformation of women’s empowerment, …

UN Compilation:
Para 4) The Peacebuilding Support Office of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs stated that the Peacebuilding Fund had been active in Sierra Leone since 2007, with $62 million allocated to date towards initiatives in support of …, young people and women’s participation and empowerment …
Para 42) … Women and members of other vulnerable groups, such as elderly persons and persons with disabilities, faced challenges in accessing financial, technology and market services [during the COVID-19 pandemic].
Para 52) The United Nations country team noted that Sierra Leone had ratified major international and regional treaties and conventions that upheld equality and prohibited discrimination based on gender. However, Sierra Leone was ranked 153rd out of 162 countries in the 2018 gender inequality index. Gender inequalities were exacerbated by discriminatory cultural norms that impinged on women’s access to power, resources and privileges. The prohibition of discrimination based on gender in the areas of marriage, divorce, adoption and devolution of property on death was established in the Constitution.
Para 53) The United Nations country team commended Sierra Leone for the steps taken to address the increasing rate of reported cases of sexual and gender-based violence, including the launch of the “Hands off our girls” campaign in 2018, the development of a national strategy for the involvement of males in the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence, and the establishment of a toll-free hotline to report cases of such violence. It also noted the assistance provided to victims.
Para 56) The United Nations country team remained concerned over the continuous prevalence of rape and other forms of sexual violence, including against children, and about the prolonged investigation and trial of cases reported to the police.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 34) JS2 and JS3 welcomed that the Sexual Offenses Act was amended in 2019 to include additional sexual crimes and increased penalties for perpetrators of sexual violence against children. JS2 also welcomed the establishment of the Family Support Unit of the Police; the free toll line, the One-Stop-Centres, and related awareness raising campaigns. However, the organisations highlighted that significant issues should still to be addressed, such as rape, commercial child sexual exploitation.
Para 35) CUMG-SL stated that, while policies have been developed to combat sexual abuse against girls in school, those policies were challenged by inadequate support to ensure effective implementation.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 63) The-Carter Center (CC) regretted that women candidates have limited opportunities to participate in political processes, and that only two of 17 presidential candidates were female, and represented only 12.5% of all parliamentarian candidates. According toCC, the low number of female nominees reflected a lack of political will to improve gender equality in public institutions. It further noted that a Gender Equality Bill had been in the drafting process since 2013, and has not yet been made into law.

National Report:
Para 22) The GOSL has taken further steps with regards to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and has signed an agreement with the traditional heads banning the initiation of girls below the age of 18. There has also been policy measures put forward by the GOSL concerning the rights of the child including: the National Child Welfare Policy and Alternative Care Policy, and a policy that allows for a Family Support Unit within the Sierra Leone Police.

Para 43) On the issue of FGM, it is culturally entrenched in the Sierra Leone but efforts are being made to address the prevalence of this practice. One of the flagship projects in the Agenda for Prosperity, especially Pillar 8 on: 'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment', is the enactment of law against underage initiation rites of passage for girls. It is hoped that this can be an entry point for the elimination of the practice in the long run. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed at the local level with the Soweis to eliminate under-18 initiations. Massive sensitization campaigns continue with constructive advocacy and engagement with the Council of Soweis and other FGM stakeholders. The expected outcome aims to create an alternative means of livelihood for Soweis especially through access to micro-credit and business skills

Para 50) The GOSL recognizes that some traditional practices have proven harmful and violates the basic rights of individuals. It is therefore advocating, also as a nation, on the importance of the age limit set in the Child Right's Act (18). This enactment was promulgated as a deterrent to FGM and Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM). However, the Law Reform Commission is still working on the amendment of the Customary Marriage Act which currently allows marriage below 18, but with the consent of the parent/guardian. It is hoped that by the third cycle, this law will be in conformity with the age of maturity or consent, that is: 18 years