https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tanzania-child-marriage-ban-appeal/

 We want to live in a world where every woman and girl can make her voice heard. Tell us about the world you want to live in with #TheWorldIWantToLiveIn on social media.

Child “marriage” is a human rights violation that harms girls and women, along with their families and communities. Despite global commitments to protect girls, we once again find ourselves defending hard won victories.  

Next week our partners in Tanzania will be in court to defend a landmark ruling, aimed at protecting girls from child “marriage” across Tanzania.   

Kuwait Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

Thirty Fifth Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

January - February 2020

Armenia Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

Thirty Fifth Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

January - February 2020

Kenya Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

Thirty Fifth Session of the UPR Working Group of the Human Rights Council

January - February 2020

Equality Now participates in the UN’s annual High Level Political Forum to push UN member states to protect and advance the human rights of all women and girls.   

https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/liberia-under-pressure-to-enact-comprehensive-anti-fgm-law/

Sierra Leone does not presently have any national law that explicitly prohibits and punishes the practice of FGM. Previous efforts to criminalise it have not materialised.

Women and girls who have not been cut are often frowned upon and prohibited from taking part in certain community functions. The practice is for the most part carried out by traditional cutters (soweis) who yield a lot of power and control over the country’s social and political functions.

In 2014, the government of Sierra Leone placed a countrywide ban on FGM to control the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. Individuals found guilty of carrying out the procedure were fined and although this led to a drastic reduction in the prevalence of FGM at the time, the ban was not effected long term. The practice of FGM resumed and has since then been going on uninterrupted. Reports of women and girls being kidnapped and forced to undergo the cut are therefore common.  

Due to the lack of political goodwill; failure by the State to outrightly condemn FGM; and remarks from various political leaders justifying the practice, this human rights violation continues unabated.

In this regard, Equality Now calls on President Julius Maada Bio, the Ministries of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs; Internal Affairs; Health and Sanitation; and the Sierra Leone Judiciary and law enforcement mechanism to:

• permanently ban FGM by enacting and enforcing a comprehensive anti FGM law. 
• Support educational outreach to relevant communities and local chiefs on the harms of FGM. 
• Protect women and girls who are uncut, from intimidation and abuse.  

We further call upon the First Lady Fatima Bio to take FGM as part of her Hands off Our Girls campaign that seeks to protect girls from various human rights violation such as child marriage and sexual violence that are greatly interlinked with FGM or happen as a result of FGM. 

These actions will ensure that Sierra Leone honours its national, regional and international duty to protect the rights of women and girls. 

Learn more about FGM in Sierra Leone.

What efforts have previously been made to ban FGM in Sierra Leone?

Although Sierra Leone does not have a national law that explicitly prohibits FGM, the following laws attempt to protect women and girls: 

• The Child Rights Act 2007 which criminalises all forms of torture directed to a child;
• The Domestic Violence Act 2007 which seeks to protect women and girls from domestic violence, harm, or other acts which may endanger their safety, health or wellbeing;
• The Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which illegalises bodily harm of another person; and 
• The Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS Act 2007 which criminalises the negligent use of unsafe procedures, leading to the spread of HIV.

Have these laws been used to prosecute the practice of FGM in Sierra Leone?

Considering that none of the laws in Sierra Leone criminalise FGM explicitly, there have not been any documented prosecutions with regards to FGM. In addition, owing to the existing gender inequalities in Sierra Leone, laws that are meant to protect and uphold the rights of women and girls are not implemented as they ought to be.  

Call on Sierra Leone to enact a comprehensive ban on FGM.