By: Aaron Bundu Lahai-Head of Media & Public Relations
Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has suggested the setting up of a full-blown forensic laboratory to support the investigation on gender-based violence in the country.
His comment came at a two-day conference on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) organized in commemoration of sixteen days of activism that started on Monday, December 2, 2024, in Freetown with the theme: “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Sierra Leone”.
The vice president said he would initiate discussion both at cabinet and with development partners to support the establishment of the laboratory initiative. He proposed the identification of potential and viable decentralization options in the fight against GBV by strengthening the district prosecuting and legal teams to be able to provide legal and support services to survivors and deal with the perpetrators.
The Hon. Vice President described the theme of the conference as important at the time the country is grappling with many social challenges including the protection, and promotion of the well-being and progress of women, especially young girls.
He stated that gender-based violence and healthcare are vital to promoting the well-being and progress of women in society. He disclosed that GBV and healthcare affect the most vulnerable in society. He therefore, viewed the 16 days of activism as an opportunity to take stock of the progress made as a country and the additional effort and action needed to support young girls from GBV and access to healthcare services they need.
The vice president spoke about the tremendous efforts made by the Government since 2018 concerning healthcare delivery, gender equality, women empowerment, and GBV. “Since 2018, our focus on human capital development has placed education, governance reforms, and health at the center of government activities,” says the Vice President.
He explained that the Government focuses on maternal and children’s health. He indicated that the maternal mortality rate has reduced. He is optimistic that the death rate will be reduced drastically by the time the latest statistics are published. He informed about the investment in the sector including the recruitment of additional healthcare workers, building additional community healthcare centers across the country, and the expansion of training for healthcare workers.
Vice President Jalloh told the audience that Government is also focusing on women in the educational sector, stating that the heart of the education programme is to encourage young girls to enroll in schools. He revealed an increase in the number of girls in schools, noting that the government is proud of the parity between boys and girls in basic and senior schools. He stated that more girls are enrolling in universities to study science courses than boys, attributing it to the government intervention in the education sector.
Some of the governance reforms undertaken by the Government, according to Vice President Jalloh, include the enactment of the Sexual Offenses Act amended in 2019, the formulation of the Sexual and Gender-Based Response Strategy, integration of sexuality into the education curriculum, the GEWE Act, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024, among others. He maintained that the reforms were done to enhance gender equality and promote women’s empowerment.
He noted that efforts are being made by the government to improve healthcare delivery in Sierra Leone. The Hon. Vice President shared his perspectives on ways to address Gender Based Violence and to also position the country’s healthcare delivery system to provide the care needed. One of the perspectives is to take concrete steps to implement policies, he commented. The second perspective shared by the Vice President is to scale up the one-stop centers to strengthen their effectiveness by providing additional tools and resources to support women. He again suggested a strategic partnership between the Government and development partners, especially NGOs with the focus on decentralizing the fight against Gender-Based Violence.
The Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr Isata Mahoi said that addressing sexual and gender-based violence required a multi-sectoral approach, noting that no single entity could curb the menace. She stated that the conference presented an opportunity to delve into actionable strategies to address the challenges communities faced. She flashbacks on the domestic violence cases in recent times with some relating to deaths while some destroying the future of younger children. She emphasized that ending violence against women is an action everyone must involve in, adding that there is need to address it.