The ruling SLPP government led by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has made remarkable progress in protecting women and children against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the country.
When His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio wins the 2018 Presidential Elections, he declared war to end early child marriage, sexual gender based violence and condemned it in its entirety. A practice and clear manifesto of that can be seeing in how the ruling SLPP government has reviewed laws related to sexual offenses, thus setting up the first ever Sexual Offenses Model Court. This court exists to serve as a deterrent to all intending sexual offenders, rapists in particular reference to under age children. It has also helped to reduce the number of sexual offenses cases in Sierra Leone. As a result of this, there is now huge awareness of the Sierra Leonean populace regardless to where they are and their afflictions across the country. This is a strong political will being manifested ever in the history of this country been manifested under the New Direction Government and leadership of Retired Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
Through her Office, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio with the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign and her leading program/project in her establishment through advocacy and awareness raising across the country; which seeks to inform and educate young girls about the dangers of early sex, rape, teenage pregnancies and forceful marriages has created huge impact in the country.
This comment demonstrated by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and the First Lady Her Excellency Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio along with other development partners, CSOs, Media, community leaders and religious leaders has helped in changing the narratives by drastically reducing issues related to Sexual Gender Based Violence in the country.
Since the launching of the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign, state authorities including Members of Parliament, the Sierra Leone Police, Judiciary, Paramount Chiefs and Religious Leaders have committed themselves than ever before to provide safer spaces for teenage girls against degrading and inhuman treatments. Within a year, there is a higher rate of conviction and sentencing of sexual offenders, which is continued political will of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio to not only reduce crimes but working towards complete eradication of this menace our society.
As a result of the serious committed being demonstrated by the government of Sierra Leone in protecting our girls and women in our society, children and women now feel safe to go to school and do their normal businesses without hindrance. This has also restored the confidence of parents/guardians that their children in a safe environment.
As a results of conduciveness of the environment thereby creating and enforcing strong laws that are protecting women and children in our society, we now see an increased number of children being enrolled into schools regardless of the community in which they find themselves and the outcome of public examinations’ results, indicated that there is a massive passes which indicate that experiential learning is taking place in a conducive and a protective environment.
Michaella Bonnie
Information Attaché Sierra Leone
Embassy South Korea
Email: Slembsl@gmail.com
Email: Information.attache@sierra-leone.or.kr
