[women-rights] Sierra Leone: Women need rights and protection

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: AFR 51/009/2006
1 August 2006

Amnesty International today launched a campaign to highlight the problems
faced by women in Sierra Leone in accessing the justice system. Every day,
women in rural Sierra Leone face discrimination and violence at the hands
of the men in their homes and communities. When they try to access justice
to address such abuses, they are often faced with further abuse and
violence -- often as a result of local chiefs exceeding their legal
authority and imposing punishments against women based on customary law.

Campaign participants will include both Amnesty International's worldwide
membership as well as Sierra Leonean activists, through an in-country
campaign led by Amnesty International's section in Sierra Leone.

"The problem for women in Sierra Leone stems from both the law itself --
which is inherently discriminatory in many areas -- and the fact that
local chiefs are making grossly discriminatory rulings in cases they have
no authority to preside over -- including in cases involving violence
against women," said Kolawole Olaniyan, Director of Amnesty
International's Africa Programme. "Chiefs often illegally impose fines or
imprison women based on their interpretation of customary law -- and the
government of Sierra Leone has done little to curtail these
practices”"

Sierra Leonean customary law forms part of the common law, but is largely
unwritten. It is defined in the constitution as "the rules of law which by
custom are applicable to particular communities in Sierra Leone."
Customary law regulates upon matters which impact upon women the most
including marriage, inheritance, divorce, and property.

Under Sierra Leonean customary law, women's status in society is equal to
that of a minor.

In cases of sexual and gender-based violence, local chiefs are usually the
first point of contact outside the family for women. Chiefs often
discourage women from taking their complaints outside the family.

One woman in Makeni town, Bombali district described to Amnesty
International how, having been widowed and then remarried, she had been
subjected to sexual violence by her husband. She and her four children
were economically dependent on her husband. "I really did not know what to
do. My family is not around as most died in the war and everyone else in
the community, including the Chief, is advising me to sit tight. They
warned me not to go to the police about my husband raping me or not paying
for the children, they would just lock him up and then there would be no
chance that he would pay."

Amnesty International also found that chiefs often illegally judged cases
related to civil status, such as those involving marriage and divorce,
which normally fall under the jurisdiction of the local or magistrates
courts within Sierra Leone's legal system.

Amnesty International called on the government to accelerate the law
reform process that began in 2003 and amend draft laws on marriage,
inheritance, sexual offences and succession.

The organization also called on the government to be more involved in
communities, including by monitoring the actions of chiefs and local court
officials and taking action to stop illegal and discriminatory rulings
against women.

Amnesty International also recommended the provision of paralegal and
legal aid support to women in rural areas, saying that such services would
have a major impact on women's lives as well as play a role in supporting
and strengthening Sierria Leone's judicial system.


Background

On the day of the release of Amnesty International's most recent report on
violence against women in Sierra Leone on 17 May 2006, women and men from
all over Sierra Leone came together to march against the discrimination
and violence that women face in their country. The report was officially
presented to Sierra Leone's Minister of Justice for his action and
attention. Footage of these events can be found at
http://news.amnesty.org/pages/sle-240506-avarchives-eng

To see the the May 2006 report "Women face human rights abuses in the
informal justice sector", please go to:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR510022006 To see the December
2005 report "No one to turn to: Women's lack of access to justice in
Sierra Leone", please go to:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR510112005