It is not only the healthcare system that suffers from corruption; the problem persists through all the systems of this nation. The country was rated 153 out of 162 in the 2018 index, clearly exposing the gender inequality gap. This cycle of life has been around since ancient times and because of different factors, things have not changed in some countries or some part of the world. During the launch, the United Nations Residence Coordinator Sunil Saigal emphasized that the launch of the HeForShe Campaign is an important milestone on the journey towards the eradication all forms of discrimination, and gender-based violence, against women and girls. However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. ", Kandeh, Mariama. In the modern century, for most countries around world it seemed that gender inequality is cruel and unreasonable, but countries in mid-Asia are exceptions. http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wess/wess_dev_issues/dsp_policy_01.pdf, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X03000093. We specifically focus on gender equality as a means to significantly reduce inequalities and empower people living in extreme poverty to improve their lives. Promoting and protecting human rights requires considerable cultural fluency as UNFPA works in some of the most sensitive and intimate spheres of human existence, including sexuality, gender relations and population issues. On this International Womens Day, we celebrate all women, and particularly those leading the charge for equality. An economic perspective. The gender gap index is calculated by setting a benchmark of national gender gaps on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria, and is based on a . Equality is able to experience a free society through the characters he is reading about. However, justice is giving opportunity to those who are not privileged reach up to those who are privileged. Economic agendas in civil wars. In Sierra Leone, a gender gap in education persists, particularly from secondary school onwards where lower levels of female participation are recorded, due in part to forms of violence and discrimination directed against girls. The event was hosted by the Parliament, with a large number of Parliamentarians attending, as well as the First Lady Mrs. Sia Nyama Koroma, representatives of Government and the cabinet, including the Ministers of Internal Affairs, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Water Resources, Political and Public Affairs, and Tourism. The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is an index for measurement of gender disparity that was introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report 20th anniversary edition by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The reader takes a while to figure this out. The years of indirect colonial rule meant Sierra Leone didnt have the knowledge, experience or facilities to manage its disbanded country and its potentials. Too many girls and women are still dying in childhood and in the reproductive ages. by Megan Borishansky Historical Background Colonized by the British as a territory for liberated slaves known as Creoles or "Krios", Sierra Leone's history is one of class divisions and gender inequality, compounded by the civil war of 1992-2002 and struggles over natural resources. A strong emphasis on the human rights, including reproductive rights, of individual women and men underpins all of UNFPA's work. The implementation of such neoliberal policies is a reason for the continuing existence of poverty and inequality, these generalised policies failed to adapt to the uniqueness of each nations economy and the dictation of an outside nation can be simply considered as a modern practice of colonialism. We work with local non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and other development agencies ensuring multi-level coordination to help strengthen the implementation of existing legislation pertaining to gender equality. Despite this, there have been positive changes in regard to gender equality in Sudan. According to the report from The Global Gender Gap in 2015, Yemen and Pakistan ranked bottom of the list of gender gap which means the distances in economic and politic between men and women in those two areas was the furthest (International Rankings). These charges included killing, rape, sexual violence, sexual slavery, slave labor, abduction, forced pregnancy and many other horrific things (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Although many lawmakers, Being a woman in America For every 1,000 girls in Sierra Leone, 112 will become mothers between ages 15 and 19. The state, violence and development: the political economy of war in Mozambique 19751992. UNDP Residence Coordinator, Sunil Saigal signs the HeForShe board. Information released online before January, 2021. Many countries, including Sierra Leone, face a crisis in providing quality . If the breadwinner of the household passed away, the entire household would have less income and could be driven deeper into poverty. Sierra Leone is also a part of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (MDGs). Find out about career opportunities at USAID. These factors are compounded by poverty, gender discrimination, long distances to schools, perceived low value placed on education, negative social norms practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM - 86.1 per cent), early marriage (30 per cent of women are married before age . We promote gender equality and women's empowerment across sectors by focusing on improving women's health, increasing their participation in governance at all levels through increasing the political, social and economic rights of women . Republic of Sierra Leone: Education sector analysis: assessing the enabling environment for gender equality Corporate author : UNESCO IIEP Dakar. The world should be a much better place and it will be if only people work for the common good of the people and abolishing the law. However, there was no one period in the past, even now, without inequality completely. The Opening of a Ten Day Training for Officers on Gender by the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Gender Unit. In many ways then Goal 8 and Goal 10 are inextricably linked. The root causes of conflict: evidence and policy implications. Sierra Leone Gender Analysis. One solution is to send more students studying abroad, which would show the students what the rest of the world thinks of women. The roles women are expected to play are general expectations such as cooking, cleaning, and staying at home with the children, leaving women in Sierra Leone with very . Everyone should be entitled to an equal amount of opportunity in the developing world and gender shouldnt be a determining factor of who is allowed/gets the better education. Women in Sierra Leone are used just like weapons in war (Ben-Ari & Harsch). One of the largest reasons all of these efforts are being made is because of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. Their leaders are the Council of Vocations enforced those rules, and the people that over-rule them are the World Council. Imagine being someone who was free, but oppressed in other ways; to be unable to work the same way that a man was no matter how smart you were, to be forced into doing what ladies do; to be stepped over and disregardedall because of the gender you were born as. According to the minister, the bill which is now a government document will be gazetted and laid in the well of parliament. This clearly determines the behavior of a man or woman in the society. Richard Maclure and Myriam Denov stated how a policy of rapid post-war educational expansion, with its emphasis on increased girls access to schooling, will no longer support the diminishing systemic discrimination against girls and women, and how preoccupation with rapid, Prior to this case study I was aware of some inequality between males and females in most developing countries but never really understood what it is females go through day by day as a forced lifestyle. This again makes goods unaffordable for rural communities and forces them further into poverty and widens the gap in inequality between urban and rural areas. Gender-based violence perpetrated against women and girls continues to be one of the most prevalent and pervasive problems in post-conflict Sierra Leone. You are entering the 2017-2020 Archive for the United States Agency for International Development web site. Women account for 52 percent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 . This book investigates gender equality and women's empowerment in Sierra Leone, focusing in particular on women's interactions with the state and its development partners. Through the Protection of Women through Empowerment and Response (POWER) project, USAID is working to support up to 1,000 women and girls in rural communities within the eastern Kenema district. Childfree women felt like their value and identity were centered and focused on maternal status rather than the struggle they made for independence and the experience attained. It ranks very low on the gender inequality index (which means it has high levels of inequality . Majority of the beneficiaries and agents of change of USAID-funded health activities are women. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Speakers, including members of parliament and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament expressed their belief that the HeForShe Campaign will serve as a stepping board in putting an end to gender inequality by 2030. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world - for every 100 000 live births, 890 women die during childbirth. Sierra Leonean women are at risk for sexual and gender-based violence in the form of domestic violence, sexual assault of adults and minors, marital rape, school-related sexual abuse, and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation. The Government and people of Sierra Leone on Tuesday 28 February, 2017 joined the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in the official launch of the Heforshe Campaign at the State Hall of the House of Parliament of Sierra Leone. Presenting the Bill to MPs, the Minister Overall, 10 million women and children are expected to benefit.7 Box1. Many traditional cultures, including America, teach that men should lead in families, business, and government, but does that still hold true today? Equality among people justifies the development of human civilization. Their lack of completion in education is likely to be encouraged if the benefits are not obtained due to an inadequate, unrelatable curriculum, which means the cycle of subsistence in agriculture keeps these rural communities in poverty. Women now make up over 40 percent of the global labour force. Sierra Leone was first colonialized by the British in 1787, their influence over hundreds of years affected all aspects of the nation, from trade structure to education system . Inequality based on gender is a serious concern in modern times the world over; men and women are yet to enjoy the same privileges. In particular, it highlights women's increasing agency in acquiring knowledge, diffusing power, engaging in grassroots politics, and compelling the government to adopt . Historically, women have been discriminated against and are heavily under-represented in the Sudanese women account for a larger percentage of the national . In the course of the campaign for the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in 2011, the current In the rural labor force, women provide more than 60% of farm labor for food production, but this forms part of a larger power dynamic problem as men still possessed greater access to ownership and control of the production, reducing women to a marginal position. Freedom House gave Sudan the lowest possible ranking among repressive regimes during 2012. In doing so, it has worked closely with communities andlocal agents of change, including religious leaders and faith-based organisations. Female singer and womens activist Millicent Rhodes performed Sierra Leones HeForShe song. Since 2004, we have shifted our program towards a more development-orientated approach working in both urban and rural areas. He also called on Sierra Leonean men to treat girls as their daughters instead of wives. She added that, gender inequality is a global concern and Sierra Leone is not an exception. He finally realizes that the life he was previously living is not the way he wants to live his life. Regardless of what affects it more, both are still major contributors to the continued persistence of gender inequality in developing countries. Stewart, F. (1998). A combination of cultural prejudices and harsh economic realities join hands, in making life particularly difficult for our ladies. It can be absolute or relative, chronic or temporary and is iften associated with inequality (Lok-Dessallien, R. 2000). Create your own unique website with customizable templates. . The rural families, also considered those in the poorest quintile of income, require their children to assist in labour, which is why over 53% of children (World Bank 2014) in the poorest quintile leave education before they complete secondary education. For this score, we use the 72 gender-specific SDG indicators in the Women Count Data Hubs SDG Dashboard for the 193 UN Member States. She further stated that the transformation of the Act into reality is important owing to the fact that 87 percent of women in the country are more active in the workforce compared to the 75 percent men. No one is exactly like another human on this planet. Some of the inequalities that women face are as follows; shortened life expectancy, little education, assault, domestic violence, lack of healthcare, and low pay for . Unnecessary expensive healthcare perpetuates inequality also, it is the corrupt individuals within governmental organisations who gain the extra profit to spend on luxuries whilst the poorest suffer and fall further into poverty. It becomes clear to him how much the government was taking from him. 61% of women in the Sierra Leone will experience gender-based violence (GBV) in their lifetime. It seemed like a very strict world to be living in at that time. Since social norms has contributed to the definition of appropriate lifestyle through parenthood, childlessness in women was seen as a deviant from society, which further led to disconnection between parents and childfree women in many contexts. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. The estimated levels of inequality for Sierra Leone in 1831 seem consistently lower than for all contemporary settler coloniesincluding Brazil and all estimates of wealth inequality from the United States of the early nineteenth century. A lock () or https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. The voices of Sierra Leonean women are ignored in the debate about their own sexual and reproductive health. But he has now become a fighter for the cause of women to realize their potentials. In fact, in Sierra Leone, rape is extremely common and is considered a "societal norm" (US Department of . 140 years ago, imagine being in bondage, oppressed, maybe even tortured; to have to go about your life constantly under the watch of someone else; to be bruised and beaten and brokenall because of the color of your skin. In Sierra Leone, progress has been made in expanding opportunities for women and girls to promote gender equality and empowerment of women. Their voice, visibility, participation, and representation in elective and appointment positions remain very low compared to men. Sierra Leonean women are at risk for sexual and gender-based violence in the form of domestic violence, sexual assault of adults and minors, marital rape, school-related sexual abuse, and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation. Equality is such an important thing in our everyday lives. Ismail Kamara is a Mass Communications student at Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone who attended the launch event. Their voices are being drowned out by the resistance of conservative religious groups and reluctant government officials. However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. http://org.newtrier.k12.il.us/academics/faculty/hjelmgren/africa09proj3lev.html. The goal of the project is to empower women and girls to pursue their potential, free from violence and inequality, focusing on increasing their economic resources, train them on how to voice their priorities and participate in decisions that affect themselves and their homes and strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) response, coordination and referral pathways. The first of such lessons is that nothing in life is equal or fair. Gender equality is globally the most common form of inequality and remains a major obstacle to the eradication of poverty. Around one-third of households are headed by women - these are families where the male household head is absent due to, divorce, death, or long-distance migration. The slavery issue in the West and the gender inequality in the East both brought unimaginable damage for not only the groups of people who were mistreated, but also the society which is supposed to be peaceful, fair and justice. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination and remain under-represented in decision-making processes. Their voice, visibility, participation and representation in elective and appointment positions remain very low compared to men. This means household or farming essentials eg. Looking for a flexible role? Women enjoy limited access to decision-making power, and access to and control over resources. Freetown was established as a British colony where the slave trade was suppressed and Creoles dominated . Yet gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched across most societies. In other words, should male and female be treated in the same way? The legacy of general liberal education under colonialism, whereby positions such as clerks needed to be filled by a literate individual perpetuates in the universal primary education of today where those rural unprivileged will maintain their place in poverty. Nevertheless, gender inequality and denial of women's rights are still prevalent at all . Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner. In 2018, 19.8% of women aged 15-49 years reported that they had been subject to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months. Gender inequity in Sierra Leone is still a huge problem but many efforts are happening and its status is improving. As Riddell (2005) states, citizens were actively ripped off through colonialism and independent governments to date. She further explained that Sierra Leone has a low gender inequality index value of 0.64 ranking. Despite the recent debate over pay equality, the question simply boils down to: do women deserve to make significantly less than men do? This year, Sierra Leone has been elevated to a partner country for Irish Aid, with funding for malnutrition and gender inequality including sexual violence. There have been multiple attempts to create a more equal society and reduce the overwhelming amount of poverty in Sierra Leone, these have been sourced from institutions such as the World Bank, however it is debatable how true their impact has really been with their strong neoliberal bias. The Sierra Leone Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Bill, which if passed into law by the House of Parliament would require the government to draw up an accompanying policy which is yet to be passed. Rape and sexual violence and abuse are no doubt one of the most obvious societal factors. Property and titles are inherited by male lineage, and men dominate in political leadership. And while forced conscription was mainly used against males, these crimes were committed almost always to women (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Governments need to support these young women and fulfill their dreams. All of the goals for the MDG are trying to be reached by 2015 (MDGs). In Sierra Leone, over 700,000 households (58 percent of total households) are engaged in agriculture, mostly of a subsistence nature, with approximately 250,000 households involved in the fishery sector. Women grow between 60% and 80% of the world's food but often they have reduced access to the materials they need and even the food they produce. Note: Content in this archive site is NOT UPDATED, and external links may not function. Photo:UN Women/ Cecil Nelson. Sierra Leone has for centuries been engulfed in a patriarchal system that has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, religious and econonmic sphere and is deeply entrenched in cultural and religious beliefs. I think that, as a privileged woman, I need to help these women, but not by treating them like a child., Once this problem is out of the way, we must address Payals second point, which is that, education systems have a tendency toward stability rather than change, and tend to reproduce social hierarchy and inequality. There are multiple solutions to this problem. The country has a Gender Inequality Index-GII value of 0.644, ranking it 153 out of 162 countries in the 2018 Index. The lack of related curriculum also explains why the highest drop out rates and therefore highest illiteracy rates are in the rural areas, which is actually where the majority of the population live. Sierra Leone is the first African nation to fully transition from a paper-based reporting system to an electronic system for weekly aggregate disease reporting at the health facility level. These girls have dreams and hopes of becoming someone and the only way to achieve their dream is by going to school and so, they shouldnt be held accountable for a rape they did not want and their education should not be compromised. Gender inequality is a pervasive problem in many parts of the world, including Africa. Our society thrives off of each person being unique from everyone else, but still being treated equally. For example, if a man who was lazy and did somewhat of a decent job then he would most likely to be promoted, however if this was a woman then she would most likely not be promoted. But, the country is starting to turn around. 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