National Action Plans - Sierra Leone

Details/Analysis:

Sierra Leone is in a post conflict recovery phase following the civil war 1991 which lasted until 1999. The conflict primary impacted on civilian populations, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing more than half the population, primarily women and children.

Women and children were disproportionately affected by the conflict, in which women and girls were specifically targeted and subjected to systematic forms of gender based violence, including rape, sexual slavery, forced marriages, forced pregnancies, forced labor and abduction into militias as 'wives' and soldiers. The structural gender inequalities within Sierra Leone, the cultural legacy of violence against women and impunity for perpetrators means that gender based violence and sexual violence remain pervasive issues.

Women and girls in Sierra Leone had an active role in the hostilities, many were forcibly abducted into militia, while others voluntarily entered the militias to seek the protection of armed groups. However, women have primarily been agents for reconciliation and peace. Women’s groups organized to advocate for an end to violence and the protection of women and girls. For instance, the Sierra Leone Women’s Movement for Peace appealed to all sides to end the violence, organized peace rallies, prayers, marches and appealed to the international community to support. Women’s groups have also been instrumental in advocating for and supporting peaceful democratization processes.

Despite the active role of women in peacebuilding, there were only two women involved in the peace agreement. Though they had secondary roles, their presence ensured some gender concerns were reflected in the final agreement.

The absence of women in formal peace processes and decision making roles, as well as persistent issues of sexual and gender based violence are the reason Sierra Leone has elected to nationally implement UNSCR1325 and 1820 in a single action plan.

Details/Analysis:

The Sierra Leone NAP includes five Pillars and each is correlated with the relevant UNSCR 1325 and 1820 text:

Pillar 1: Prevention of Conflict including Violence Against Women and Children (SGBV)

Pillar 2: Protection, Empowerment of Victims and Vulnerable Persons especially women/girls

Pillar 3: Prosecute, Punish Perpetrators effectively and Safeguard Women and Girls' Human Rights to Protection during and post conflict as well as Rehabilitate Victims/Survivors of SGBV and Perpetrators.

Pillar 4: Participation and Representation of Women.

Pillar 5: Promote Coordination of the Implementation Process, including Resource Mobilization, Monitoring and Evaluation of and Reporting on the National Action Plan.

Each pillar contains an Outcome Objective, Output Objective and Strategies which are linked to Indicators for monitoring implementation. For example, Pillar 2: “Protection, Empowerment of Victims and Vulnerable Persons especially women/girls” includes the following elements:

Outcome Objective: Contribute to increased Protection, Empowerment and support of Victims and Vulnerable Persons especially women/girls.

Output Objectives
• Reporting of SGBV cases at national and community levels increased
• Health (psychosocial) economic and legal and support provided to vulnerable persons including victims and survivors.
• Government measures and benefits for women and girls in vulnerable situation increased to ensure the respect for their social and economic rights

Strategies
• Alliance building with law enforcement agencies and the courts
• Strengthening existing mechanisms/procedures
• Networking with NAC-GBV Security and Justice Sectors Coordinating Institutions;
• Court Monitoring, and reporting;
• Intensifying community sensitization and advocacy;
• Dialoguing with parents and community leaders
• Enhancing data base
• Improve health -care delivery services, conditions of services for medical personnel; equip health care facilities and training on SGBV issues.
• Ensuring that victims of SGBV have access to free medical report across the country
• Lobby for lawyers to be available at regional and district levels and ensure sustainability and incentives to provide legal services to women and girls.
• Intensify access to Adult/functional literacy class
• Training in specialized skills for older girls attending in adult education classes
• Role modeling/mentoring school age girls to stay in school complete and perform well.
• Strengthening/building institutional capacities in gender responsive programmes/projects, including gender sensitive parenting
• Data base development
• Government measures and benefits for women and girls in vulnerable situation increased to ensure the respect for their social and economic rights

Specific Activities
• Conduct desk review/research work on SGBV issues, recommend and advocate for procedures for fast tracking complaints
• Raise awareness on women’s rights including SGBV to ensure increased reporting
• Capacitate existing community structures to advocate and seek redress against cases of SGBV
• Provide logistical and financial support to LAWYERS to prosecute cases on SGBV
• Support the recruitment of additional magistrates, and lawyers.
• Provide access to pro-poor microfinance facilities for communities
• Construct and equip/staff psychosocial facilities in all section headquarter communities in Sierra Leone.
• Government measures and benefits for women and girls in vulnerable situation increased to ensure the respect for their social and economic rights
• Identify survivors/vulnerable persons within the community and engage them to be part of the beneficiaries

Indicators
• Percentage increase in the number of cases reported to law enforcement agencies.
• Information management and dissemination systems developed.
• Percentage increase in the number of victims receiving psychosocial support and treatment within a minimum time
• Percentage number of victims receiving economic support including micro Finance
• Percentage increase in number of victims having access to legal aid.
• Percentage increase in the number of new government programs skewed to wards benefiting vulnerable women and girls
• Increase in the number of vulnerable women and girls benefiting from such programs

Each Set of objectives, strategies and actions is linked to the primary stakeholders and ‘partners’ and includes an implementation timeframe. A full monitoring framework, which includes annual targets and budget is included as an annex.

Details/Analysis:

The NAP does not have a dedicated budget, but includes a projected cost of the NAP is USD $21,301,314.

The NAP includes a budget for the implementing the Monitoring and Evaluation strategy at USD $1,625,750. The government recognizes within the NAP that it holds the primary responsibility in providing funding for the plan, and commits to specified progressive increases in overall funding within the Results Framework. However, it is recognized that funding will need to be sought from national and international donors, public, non-government, faith based and private sector. The NAP also includes the need to include private citizens in fundraising activities in order to enhance local ownership of the NAP.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs is tasked with the lead role in fundraising activities and coordination of donors.

Details/Analysis:

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs is responsible for steering the overall Monitoring and Evaluation process which will occur at multiple levels.

The National Steering Committee will review progress on the NAP’s implementation, make recommendations to enhance its success and update the government, UN and donor community. A core technical group comprised of government bodies will provide support to the National Steering Committee  by gathering and analyzing national data. The group is comprised of government bodies.

The Regional Gender Office will monitor implementation on the regional level, collaborating with the regional judiciary system, Family Support Unit, the Provincial Secretary’s Office, Regional Minister’s Office and NGOs. A Regional Steering Committee will collect and analyze data and prepare reports to the National Steering Committee.

Local Councils will chair District Steering Committees supported by the District Gender Offices. They will provide reports to the Regional and National Steering Committees and coordinate efforts on the community level.

Councilors, Chiefdom Police, village leaders, and community women’s organizations will gather and provide data at the district level. Ward committees can also coordinate community level efforts.

The NAP does not articulate the composition of the various Steering Committees.

The NAP includes a full Results Framework which shows indicators at their respective levels, arranged by pillars, with baseline information and annual targets. Responsible stakeholders and frequency of data collection requirements are also included.

It is not stated in the NAP if these documents are to be made publicly available or disseminated beyond the various Steering Committees and concerned Ministries.

Civil Society has concluded an independent monitoring report, coordinated by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, which you can view here.

The NAP elaborates on risks for implementation and evaluation which including, institutional readiness, technical capacity, data storage and management and financial constraints.

The NAP identifies strategies to mitigate against these risks, which includes advocacy, capacity building, the development of a database and data storage and management guidelines and fundraising activities. The costs of these activities are included in a Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation.

Details/Analysis:

Civil Society were extensively involved in the development of the NAP through pre-drafting lobbying and advocacy and then through the Government- Civil Society Task Force. The Task Force included the following Civil Society representatives.

• Civil Society Movement
• The 50/50 Group
• Sierra Leone Women's Forum
• Gender Research and Documentation Center of the University of Sierra Leone
• Sorotipmist International Club
• Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET)
• Mano River Women's Peace Network (MARWOPNET)
• Sierra Leone Labor Congress
• International Alert
• ENCISS
• Justice Sector Coordinating Office ( JSCO)
• AMNET
• Sierra Leone Association of Non Governmental Organizations
• Campaign for Good Governance
• Sierra Leone Association of Journalists

The NAP was developed in close partnership between government and Civil Society Organizations and it is articulated within the NAP that full implementation must to continue adopt the same inclusive approach. Beyond an ongoing strong role through the Government- Civil Society Task Force, which is elaborated in Pillar IV, there are no further strategies articulated.

Women’s Civil Society Organizations are also actively engaged in supporting implementation, oversight and monitoring of the NAP independent of formal government processes. For instance Women's Civil Society, in collaboration with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) concluded a national monitoring review on implementation of the NAP, which made the following recommendations:

• Lead efforts in partnership with the National Task Force on NAP 1325 to mobilise resources and institutionalise operations of the National Steering Committee for the coordination  of the full implementation of UNSCRs 1325 and 1820 as mapped out in the NAP 1325 and  1820.

• Intensify actions to coordinate with other Ministries, Departments, Agencies and  structures in Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Internal Affairs and Local government, Lands  and Environment, Education and Health, for instances, in the engagement with women, gender, peace and security issues.

• Earmark resources from its quarterly allocations and other sources for routine monitoring of implementing gender perspectives in MDA’s policies and continuous sex dissagregated data collection, including documentation for reporting and accountability on women  gender, peace and security matters.

• Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and Development as well as the Statistics Sierra Leone to ensure that sex disaggregated data on budget allocations and spending on peace building, peace and security consolidation processes and interventions are collected and published.

• Development partners, particularly the UN Country Gender Team, Bilateral Agencies and Institutions to support technically and to allocate resources to women’s organizations at national and community levels, in efforts of institution building and strengthening of succession planning in peace and security fields