As part of efforts to strengthen existing structures and mechanisms that promote accountability and justice for victims of sexual violence, the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL) in November 2013 conducted a two-day training session in Kambia, Northern Sierra Leone, for 42 Court and Community-based monitors. The monitors, who included about 45% women, were trained as part of the US Government’s S/GWI Global Women, Peace, and Security-funded project, which seeks, among other things, to enhance justice and accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes. The participants or beneficiaries were recruited from 12 communities in the three chiefdoms of Gbileh Dixon, Mansongbala and Magbema. They were drawn from all walks of life, and included teachers, representatives of women’s groups, and petty traders. Some of them were also past victims and perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence who have vowed to work with state and non-state actors to address a problem that has afflicted their communities for decades.
“I am a victim of serious sexual abuse, and to date, I don’t feel like justice was done for what happened to me. I belong to a community where incidents of sexual violence occur regularly. I contributed always my energy and time to protecting women and girls in my community, and this training has been quite useful in preparing us for the challenge ahead”, said Maseray Bangura, one of the community-based monitors in Dares Salam village.
The training focused on some of the critical laws that seek to empower women as well as protect their rights, including the Domestic Violence Act, the Sexual Offences Act, the Registration of Customary Marriage Act, and the Devolution of Estates Act. The participants were urged to help law enforcement and justice institutions enforce these laws by not only raising awareness about these laws, but by also ensuring that violations were punished using established state mechanisms. The training sessions also discussed the various human rights instruments, including constitutional and treaty-based guarantees for human rights. Apart from the Sexual Offences Act, which was passed in 2012, all the other laws mentioned above were passed in 2007. More than six years after those laws were passed, implementation has been very weak. There are still issues relating to free access to a medical centre and lack of Safe Houses for victims of domestic violence, for victims of domestic violence, paucity of law enforcement and justice personnel in many rural communities, discrimination by law enforcement and justice officers, among others.
After each presentation, trainees were asked to reflect on the issues in relation to their communities. The facilitators also discussed the most common human rights challenges in their communities, especially those that were common to women. Most of the participants complained about wife battery, high levels of poverty and illiteracy among women (which in many ways inhibited their ability to participate in decision making processes as well as break the cycle of violence in which they lived), economic violence, child maintenance issues, discrimination in the hands of male traditional authorities, among others. Most participants said they had little confidence in the willingness and capacity of justice and law enforcement officers to protect their rights or expeditiously deliver justice when those rights were violated.
“Women and girls still face challenges. There is widespread early marriage and teenage pregnancy. Poverty and ineffective enforcement of the laws are some of the major reasons. I believe something can be done about it. The community, traditional leaders and law enforcement officers need to work together to bring about changes. This training has helped us understand how to build partnerships in addressing these challenges,” Mahmeh Munu of Kawola village said.
The trainees were divided into two groups, including Court Monitors and Community Monitors. The Court Monitors will cover Local Courts as well as disputes that are resolved by chiefs. Since chiefs do not have a right to convene courts, the Monitors have a responsibility to ensure that no illegal or Kangaroo courts are set up by traditional authorities. They will also ensure that Local Courts, among other things, do not exceed their jurisdiction in terms of levying fines as well as the types of cases they adjudicate. Community Monitors will undertake regular activities such as awareness raising, mediation, assisting victims to access justice, and linking communities with relevant information relating to the rights of women and girls.
As part of the project, the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law will also organize a training of trainers event, train Law Enforcement and Justice Officers (LEJOs), as well as other groups whose contributions will be critical to the successful implementation of the project.