Sewa News Stream

One of the news stories I discussed today was Awoko's "Lawyer locked up for gender-based violence." For those who may not have read it, the article is about a domestic violence case in an east end Freetown community and the debate it has generated on the new Domestic Violence Act; its implementation, and protection it provides women under the law. In the coming days, we shall see how it will play out in court. Another women's issue that, sadly, always makes the headlines is rape. In the 12-month period leading up to March 2009, the local press carried numerous reports of Sierra Leonean women and girls who were victims of sexual violence and rape. One of the youngest victim was only a few months old. Local groups who advocate for victims of sexual violence--24/7/365--say there are so many incidents of rape in Sierra Leone that there is no way of knowing just how many victims there really are. Ironically, because the raped baby and the hundreds of women and girls who ...

This weekend, the All Peoples Congress Party of North America held a fund raiser in Maryland. In the interest of full disclosure I am not a member of APC North America, but I planned to buy a ticket and support the event. Unfortunately, something came up at the last minute and I didn't make it. Still, I am rather curious to know which Sierra Leonean cause they will donate to. A few that come to mind: Income generating projects for youth, sustainable empowerment of women, adult literacy, job skills training, educational improvement and health care. See, some months ago, the APC of North America announced that in support of President Koroma's "Agenda for Change" APC-North America would embark on what it called “unprecedented fund-raising efforts to renovate Kissy Mental Home.” A news article reported that the North American branch of the APC party had donated the sum of US$10,000 for the renovation of the psychiatric hospital. Two former members of APC-NA, Martin Bash K...

This week, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists released a strong statement on last Saturday's kidnapping and public humiliation of four female journalists. A quote read: "We condemn in the strongest of terms these illegal arrests and detention of the journalists and reiterate our appeal to the public that formal and civilised channels exist for seeking redress which must be respected." In a media statement also released this week, Reporters Without Borders added their voice: "Such disgraceful behaviour worthy of a bygone age is very damaging to Sierra Leone's image." Haja Massah Kai-samba, the Sowei who told the local press that the four journalists were taken into “our custody because they spoke unfavorably on radio against FGM,” seems not to know that abduction is a crime in Sierra Leone. Or that the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone found people guilty on accusations which included crimes such as abduction; the kind of actions t...