"We are enormously optimistic about the Irish Government and the potential in Sierra Leone. Female singer and womens activist Millicent Rhodes performed Sierra Leones HeForShe song. If you are looking for current information, visit www.usaid.gov. Firstly the key terms will be defined then the essay will be divided into two main sections. In 2022, global gender gap index for Sierra Leone was 0.67 index. LEWAF's objective is to eradicate gender-based violence in Sierra Leone, dissolve inequality and ensure that societies treat women as valuable contributors deserving of dignity and respect. 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. 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. Issues of unequal opportunities for boys and girls continue to be exacerbated by factors such as early marriage for girls, teenage pregnancies and harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). 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. He knows it is against the law but he enjoys knowledge so much, it confuses him. (2002). 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. Equality can be a wonderful thing in kindergarten. Equality among people justifies the development of human civilization. This clearly determines the behavior of a man or woman in the society. As we have earned in class, equality and justice is not the same thing. Intersectionality explains why gender cannot be in isolation from other inequalities in the social world. And while forced conscription was mainly used against males, these crimes were committed almost always to women (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Equality is giving someone the same opportunity to make them equal. This is trying to help eliminate gender discrimination in many countries, including Sierra Leone (MDGs). She added that, gender inequality is a global concern and Sierra Leone is not an exception. It seemed like a very strict world to be living in at that time. What surprised me the most were the cultural norms that accepted this unfair decision of females not being able to attend schools because of their gender. Under analysis by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (World Bank 2005) it was found that 70% of Sierra Leoneans live in poverty. 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 . "Sierra Leone war crimes: Women speak out, Kargbo, Fatmata. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination and remain under-represented in decision-making processes. Prohibiting women from going to school means prohibiting them from accomplishing their goals and becoming independent. http://org.newtrier.k12.il.us/academics/faculty/hjelmgren/africa09proj3lev.html. Published by Statista Research Department , Sep 22, 2022. When a society is ruled in a communistic fashion, like Harrison Bergeron and Anthem, pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. Another solution would be to have teachers from other countries, such as America and Britain, come and teach the students. Also, new workshops are being put on to support womens rights (Kandeh). The country was rated 153 out of 162 in the 2018 index, clearly exposing the gender inequality gap. Believers in equal rights for women are celebrating Sierra Leone's just-passed Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act, which mandates equal pay for equal work, maternity leave, financial inclusion, and a 30% quota of women in government appointments and private institutions with more than 25 employees (AYV News, 2022). He finally realizes that the life he was previously living is not the way he wants to live his life. Women in Sierra Leone have always made vital contributions to the economy and have often played a substantial role in the subsistence of their families. PDF | On Dec 15, 2017, Helen Deffner and others published The Issue of Gender - Womens Roles in Sierra Leones Civil War (1991-2002) | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate 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. The flexibility parents had in work was denied in childfree workers., Without the gender pay gap closed the United States citizens suffer many consequences. The interests of the government in gaining political power over the best national economic interests meant practices such as rent-seeking were prioritised, another opportunity for rife corruption. Health promoters, many of them women, work with lead mothers to promote pro-nutrition actions among pregnant and lactating mothers for their own and their childrens benefit and to encourage mothers to attend prenatal and postnatal care. Almost 50% of Sierra Leonean females endure "sexual or physical violence during their lifetime." . Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Sierra Leone 2 Executive summary From July 4th-14th 2006, International Alert conducted a mapping of the incidence of GBV and the programmes that are being implemented to address it in Sierra Leone on behalf of Irish Aid. Across the world, so many women and girls still do not have . 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. The Gender Equality Bill, 2011 drafted as a private member Bill spearheaded by the Sierra Leone Female Parliamentary Caucus was not enacted into law before the closure of the last Parliament. 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. UNFPA works with the Ministry of Gender and Childrens Affairs by providing capacity building through financial and technical assistance. Gender equality is a term that is commonly misunderstood by many. 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. . One solution is to send more students studying abroad, which would show the students what the rest of the world thinks of women. Africa Office Corporate author : United Nations Children's Fund ISBN : 978-92-803-1444-1 Collation : 272 pages Language : English Promoting Gender Equality is key to the implementation of UNDP's programs and its operationalisation in Sierra Leone. Traditionally in Haitian culture women are the head of the household but still place their husbands authority above them. I have seen reasons why women must be empowered and supported, and I am going to join the campaign, he said. This cycle of life has been around since . ", Last updated on May 22, 2009 by Ariel Berger. As seen throughout this case study, Ive learned that there is a significant difference of gender inequality in the developing world than those of western, more developed countries and displays just how there needs to be a change in this. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. At the same time, men play a critical role in supporting and enabling womens economic empowerment, advancing womens political participation and leadership, supporting womens role in peace and security, and eliminating gender-based violence. It is impossible to discuss gender and the influences it has on one livelihood without acknowledging the other aspects of ones identity. The Sierra Leone parliament has passed a long-awaited Gender Empowerment Act which establishes a minimum gender quota for female parliamentarians. (3) Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were first married or in union before age 18. Photo:UN Women/ Cecil Nelson. Gender inequality in agriculture in Sierra Leone. This concentration upon English language proved to have no utility in problem solving tasks the rural community face, according to the experiment which Scriber and Cole carried out (1981), instead only advantaging those wealthy urban students who would gain return from utilising such verbal explanation. Women hold 12.3% of seats in Sierra Leone's Parliament. All of the groups fighting in the civil war that happened between 1991 and 2002 were charged with human rights violations (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Reunion, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, US Protectorates, Ukraine . 29.6% of women aged 2024 years old who were married or in a union before age 18. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Republic of Sierra Leone: Education sector analysis: assessing the enabling environment for gender equality Corporate author : UNESCO IIEP Dakar. Power, moral authority, social privileges, control over land and property has mainly been in the hands of men. This means household or farming essentials eg. . 61% of women in the Sierra Leone will experience gender-based violence (GBV) in their lifetime. Gender equality and women's empowerment in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is central to the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 5, to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls. 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). USAID helps empower women in Sierra Leone through continuous sensitization, training in leadership skills, advocacy and planning and entrepreneurship. Yet despite the challenges posed by climate change and gender inequality, evidence shows that women are actively contributing to building resilient cities. Inequality based on gender is a serious concern in modern times the world over; men and women are yet to enjoy the same privileges. Poverty and inequality are some of the clearest examples of how gender discrimination harms society. These, Equality lives in a collectivist society, which is a society that believes, that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called the common good. Therefore, Equality being the person he is, struggles with being an individual. 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. In Equalitys new world he will have complete freedom and no rules holding people back from learning and growing. Too many girls and women are still dying in childhood and in the reproductive ages. I have seen Latina maids and European nannies, but I never thought about how those women could have been mistreated. The education system based upon the British education system was developed to serve the best interests of the elite, focusing on a Western style curriculum unrelated to the environment of which the majority of students, from the rural areas, were to grow up in. Sierra Leone: Gender Inequalityby Chris Crane. 602 Words3 Pages. 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. You are entering the 2017-2020 Archive for the United States Agency for International Development web site. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. The system required totally restructuring, which to this day has not been fulfilled. He comes to the realization that there is more to life than serving other people, and that he owes nothing to his brothers or his society. 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. Ismail is now an eager volunteer to take the message to his home in the provinces of Sierra Leone. The representations of how mothers are the caretakers of a home affect the younger generations perspective about gender roles because they base ideas and beliefs, With these policies implemented, females will be more represented and schools and narrow the gender gap between males and females and increase the enrollment rate of females in schools. 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 . Many times people are not given the same opportunities as they are not treated equally. Also, after schooling the number of women in the workforce has gone from 51.3 percent to 53 percent from 1996 to 2004 (MDGs Sierra Leone). All work is written to order. USAID helps empower women in Sierra Leone through continuous sensitization, training in leadership skills, advocacy and planning and entrepreneurship. Particularly in However once an individual passes the tender age of five it is time to begin learning the lessons of the world. These qualities are just some of the degrading aspects of inequality. Click here to access a PDF version of this article. 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. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner. Gender Inequality In Sierra Leone. In 2013 the Governments Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper III Agenda for Prosperity (2013-2018) had a standalone pillar that focused on gender equality and womens empowerment with gender mainstreamed in all the other pillars. As a result, the cores of the economy continued where they were most familiar, in the urban politically powerful centres of Freetown, Bo and Kenema (). Gender-Based Violence. Majority of the beneficiaries and agents of change of USAID-funded health activities are women. 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. The country had been recovering from an 11-year war, which destroyed infrastructure and basic social services, when it was hit by an Ebola outbreak in 2014. Economic development, inequality, war, and state violence. Women in Sierra Leone are used just like weapons in war (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Despite the . Despite the recent debate over pay equality, the question simply boils down to: do women deserve to make significantly less than men do? . Sierra Leone is deeply rooted in traditional attitudes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men (CEDAW, 2014); where decision-making rests with the men (fathers, husbands, brothers), including related to the health, well-being and overall welfare of women (FAO, n.d.). As a black Haitian woman raised in America, it is clear to see that my identity occupies several spheres. However, equality is not a right everyone in the world has, some need to earn it and some already have it. Information released online before January, 2021. 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. The country has a Gender Inequality Index-GII value of 0.644, ranking it 153 out of 162 countries in the 2018 Index. 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. If the breadwinner of the household passed away, the entire household would have less income and could be driven deeper into poverty. Only 93 percent of urban resident women, and 94 percent of urban resident men have active economic jobs that are paid (MDGs Sierra Leone). Keywords: Sierra Leone, gender, artisanal mining, governance, genre, exploitation minire artisanale, gouvernance. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Almost 58% of girls get married before they turn 18 years old. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. Women make up much of the farming workforce, says Yeanoh. Introduction: Gender inequality towards women in Sierra Leone can be described as inequitable or impractical compared to the equality of women in developed/western countries. Equality started a family with his beloved, The Golden One and lived happily ever after (Rand, n.pag.). Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Regional Director for West and Central Africa, African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI), Special Representative to the AU and UNECA, In focus: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence 2022, Gender equality matters in COVID-19 response, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, Assistant UN Secretary-General & UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Asa Regner and UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Oulimata Sarr to visit Sierra Leone, UN Women and Sierra Leone UNCT organize a panel discussion on the theme Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow, His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio joins world leaders as a HeForShe Champion with bold and groundbreaking commitments to achieve Gender Equality. Despite this, there have been positive changes in regard to gender equality in Sudan. To others, injustice may appear judicially and politically; Ivan Henry and David Milgaard were both wrongfully convicted of sexual, Equality finally gets to escape his miserable society and all the institutions, practices, and officials that are a part of it. Sierra Leone represents a unique case to assess the gendered impacts of COVID-19. 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. The world has to do a petition to the Sierra Leone government to abolish this law. This essay will explore aspects of poverty and inequality within Sierra Leone and the most important cultural and contemporary reasons that mean such large disparities and suffering still exist today. The death of a young woman in Sierra Leone, almost immediately after undergoing female genital mutilation, has sparked outrage and revived calls to end the practice.. The era that Equality is in is after the Great Rebirth. Most times culturally, family supports you to be the best you can be and reach the highest amount of education, whereas here it wasnt the same case. 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, their influence had impacts which can be strongly related to the continuing existence of poverty and inequality which still exist today despite becoming formally independent in 1961. One of the largest reasons all of these efforts are being made is because of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. The years of indirect colonial rule meant Sierra Leone didnt have the knowledge, experience or facilities to manage its disbanded country and its potentials. It is very important that every female in developing countries is offered an education because it enables them to branch out of the ongoing cycle of women rights negation and gives them equal opportunity for autonomy., Women are being oppressed when they are prevented from accessing these services. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. Colonization in the country really left the beliefs on gender equality the same, and they have really remained the same since. "MediaGlobal: Bold womens rights legislation in Sierra Leone, "Sierra Leone: Fighting Gender Bias Ahead of Elections. The third one of these goals is to promote gender equality and empower women (MDGs Sierra Leone). For example in the healthcare system, drugs which were given as aid ended up in pharmacies to be sold for profit, rather than dispersed to those most in need for free, as organisations like UNICEF had intended. The moral purpose of a mans life is the achievement of his own happiness. (The Ethics of. New York: United Nations Development Programme. After these problems are addressed, it is easy to see how more education can provide a better world for the, Too often remarks such as selfish, self-centered, lacking in responsibility or cold were associated with childfree women (McQuillan et al., 2012). Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Area 1: overarching legal frameworks and public life, Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (% of total number of seats), Proportion of elected seats held by women in deliberative bodies of local government, Proportion of women in managerial positions, Proportion of women in senior and middle management positions, We now have more gender-related SDG data than ever, but is it enough?. Stewart, F. (1998). that early marriage and teenage pregnancy can have on the lives of girls and their families. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. 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. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? 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 . Finally, it is obvious that the long-run solution to reduce income inequality in Sierra Leone (much in the spirit of Piketty's r>g notion) is through improving both the supply and quality of graduates coming through the schooling and higher education system. UNDP Residence Coordinator, Sunil Saigal signs the HeForShe board. Information released online before January, 2021. At the African Womens Leadership conference in Sierra Leone, President Koroma assures women of 30% quota by end of office. With a clear message and hope for increased knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a blueprint for taking concrete action to stand up for human rights, UN Resident Coordinator (RC) Babatunde Ahonsi on Monday, used the United Nations in . In the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, they have created a society with total equality, and total unhappiness . Addressing gender inequalities and promoting women's and girls' empowerment to build an equal future for all children COVID-19: a crisis for women and girls . The country's government, with assistance from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), made efforts to improve education in Sierra Leone since then. Photo:UN Women/ Cecil Nelson. Achieving gender equity remains a challenge in Sierra Leone. He initially thought that if women were economically empowered and in leadership positions, they would abandon their responsibilities as wives and disrespect their husbands. Sierra Leone is furthermore experiencing many challenges to gender equality unrelated to the outbreak of the Ebola virus. America exploits woman, while still not considering us equal. The root causes of conflict: evidence and policy implications. The current Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa has infected 27,237 peoplealmost exclusively in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leoneof whom 11,158 died. Gender discrimination and poverty. The civil war and the Ebola crisis changed gender norms in favour of emancipation of women. Inequality is state of being unequal, particularly in rights, status and opportunities (UN 2015) this could mean in living standards, gender and many other metrics. Gender inequality is a pervasive problem in many parts of the world, including Africa. Gender inequality in Sierra Leone, after colonialism among the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been heightened further by the civil war of 1992-2002which was related in part to the struggle for control of "blood diamonds" but also to long-standing social and regional disparities, and to the collapse of formal institutions and widespread . 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 . As of February 2021, only 12.3% of seats in parliament were held by women. In addition, many areas such as gender and poverty, physical and sexual harassment, womens access to assets (including land), and gender and the environment lack comparable methodologies for reguar monitoring. As a result those disparities between rural and urban fostered during colonialism have continued. Gender-based violence in or around schools continues to be a serious and pressing problem in Sierra Leone that necessitates greater attention. This year, Sierra Leone has been elevated to a partner country for Irish Aid, with funding for malnutrition and gender inequality including sexual violence. Go to the current USAID.gov website for up-to-date information, Archive - U.S. Agency for International Development, The Journey to Self-Reliance: Sierra Leone Roadmap, USAID Administrator Mark Green's Meeting with the Honourable Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Ph.D., Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, USAID Administrator Green Announces PMI Launch and Expansion in West and Central Africa. The Opening of a Ten Day Training for Officers on Gender by the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Gender Unit. Women take on all these responsibilities throughout our nation and should not be denied equal pay or opportunities for work equivalent and in some cases superior to men. A very ridiculous law has gone in effect in April to ban girls who are pregnant from school even if it was a, It is the 21st century and although politics and the world is never perfect, inequality should not be an issue we as a world should talk about. In workplace, both single women and men were expected to carry heavier workload. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. I was never aware of the terrible conditions that migrant workers faced. According to the minister, the bill which is now a government document will be gazetted and laid in the well of parliament. At the end of the programme, award-winning Sierra Leonean actor and HeForShe champion Desmond Finney presented awards to individuals who have made important contributions to gender equality in the country. The divided country economically was also enhanced by the political structure of separate administrative systems during colonialism, which left rural areas with a very limited political voice. The coastal-based capital and disconnections between rural areas and urban means investment in developing transport and ways to exploit the potential of the hinterlands has never been incentivised. The description is composed by our digital data assistant. Note: Content in this archive site is NOT UPDATED, and external links may not function. It becomes clear to him how much the government was taking from him. 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. Oxfam started operations in Sierra Leone in 1998, with relief work focused on emergency water, sanitation and hygiene provision in the context of the civil war that was ongoing at the time. As of February 2021, only 12.3% of seats in parliament were held by women. The issue of gender inequity in Sierra Leone is changing and has been improved over the past few years, but it is still not the best it can be. Aldershot: Avebury. World Development, 30(2), 153163. Enduring Disorder and Persistent Poverty: A Review of the Linkages between War and Chronic Poverty , Peet, Richard. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. It is unfair because their gender is given the majority, if not all, of the work to support the child. Gender equality is globally the most common form of inequality and remains a major obstacle to the eradication of poverty. Other aspects such as race, class, and sexuality in combination with will always play a major role in ones life choices and the way they are perceived by others. Nevertheless, gender inequality and denial of womens rights are still prevalent at all levels in Sierra Leonean society even though the women for, Current activities also supported by UNFPA include community mobilisation/sensitisation and demand creation activities for family planning, reproductive health and fistula services. In most countries women represent the majority of the poor. We should learn from the past and try to create a better situations in countries like Sierra Leone. Schools in Sierra Leone reopened in April 2015 after the world's worst recorded Ebola outbreak. Some of these challenges include lack of economic independence, high illiteracy and entrenched customs and traditions and the lack of confidence to vie for public positions. 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. This created the root of the overwhelming and still existing problem of corruption in Sierra Leone whereby individuals of power failed to act in the best interests of the majority, which of course is the rural population. The essay will open with some background on the main historical mechanism of colonialism and will follow onto look how this legacy combined with contemporary factors that have reproduced poverty and inequality socially, economically and politically. Women enjoy limited access to decision-making power, and access to and control over resources. In fact, in Sierra Leone, rape is extremely common and is considered a "societal norm" (US Department of . The primary concerns are: reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity. This International Women's Day, we celebrate the icons who blazed the trail towards gender equality. . Most woman have been taught to not expect as much as a man, that we are inferior and its time to lay that sad lie to rest., While it is a generalization to say that all migrant women are treated this way, an alarming amount are, which creates a reason to discuss the issue. Women now make up over 40 percent of the global labour force. "Sierra Leone has worst gender inequality in the world---UN. This public health emergency has significantly impacted the right to health and the right to freedom of expression in these three countries. It ranks very low on the gender inequality index (which means it has high levels of inequality . I would also like to know more about how far our society has improved in addressing this and where would I find sources elaborating our societys progress?, Yes, I Do Work Like a Girl: A Real Issue of Gender Inequality in the Workplace Whereas those in a privileged position of wealth and influence, who first seeked the benefits of colonial education in Freetown, will remain in school and go onto higher education where they can secure the best jobs, resulting in another reason for the widening gap of inequality. Women account for 52 per cent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 percent of elected positions. Equality is giving someone the same opportunity to make them equal. After the Ebola outbreak was settled down, students returned to school and so did all the problems people face when sending their children to school; especially if they were girls. However, there was no one period in the past, even now, without inequality completely. However like many other countries, Sierra Leon is known for not providing these opportunities for girls. The female literacy rate has gone from 16.7 percent in 1996 to 23 percent in 2004 (MDGs Sierra Leone). In third world countries, girls are fighting their families, communities, and countries in order to go to school. The women of Sierra Leone have faced and still face grave inequalities, but this issue has started to have some solid improvement. On the legal basis for the GEWE Policy, the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone provides the foundation for the principles of gender equality. The experiences of being a woman in Haitian culture often conflicts with that in of American culture. 33% of men in Sierra Leone have reached at least a secondary education; only 20.1% of women will do the same. 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. In Sierra Leone, progress has been made in expanding opportunities for women and girls to promote gender equality and empowerment of women. When it comes to early marriages, South Asia leads the world. An economic perspective. Equality is such an important thing in our everyday lives. Despite the significant strides made, many women continue to suffer marginalisation and discrimination, particularly in the areas of education, employment, political participation, and social justice. 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 . Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh Signing the HeForShe Board. 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. Collier, P. (2000a). Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world - for every 100 000 live births, 890 women die during childbirth. Instead, they focused upon areas such as Freetown for investment which they would prosper the most, simply widening the gap between rural rich and urban poor. UN in Sierra Leone commemorates Human Rights Day with drama, music & statements. This issue affects me because I feel the need to check my privilege. The adolescent birth rate is 102 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 as of 2018, down from 139.4 per 1,000 in 2015. The site is secure. As we have earned in class, equality and justice is not the same thing. No plagiarism, guaranteed! Our society thrives off of each person being unique from everyone else, but still being treated equally. Ismail Kamara is a Mass Communications student at Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone who attended the launch event. Their voice, visibility, participation, and representation in elective and appointment positions remain very low compared to men. Current activities also supported by UNFPA include community mobilisation/sensitisation and demand creation activities for family planning, reproductive health and fistula services. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Nafziger, E. W., & Auvinen, J. In penetrating and clear-eyed fashion, the authors re-analyze the four crucial cases that flirted with the possiblity of comparable worth." . The political system established during colonialism was made of a system of Paramount Chiefs who were elected by local Notables. He also called on Sierra Leonean men to treat girls as their daughters instead of wives. The $40 million estimated tax lost to Sierra Leone from 2009-2016 with Sierra Rutile company is enough to cover the health care of over 67,000 Sierra Leonean women and children for one year under the country's Free Health Care Initiative. The essay will be concluded by a concise and critical assessment of the reasons behind the continuing existence of poverty and inequality in Sierra Leone. 29.6% of women aged 20-24 years old who were married or in a union before age 18. Equality comes with progress and progress takes time. To accomplish this, the . 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. 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. On average, a girl can expect to receive only six years of schooling (Kargbo). Nevertheless, gender inequality and denial of womens rights are still prevalent at all levels in Sierra Leonean society even though the women for50.8 per cent of thepopulation. Women account for 52 percent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 . Their leaders are the Council of Vocations enforced those rules, and the people that over-rule them are the World Council. Sierra Leone among the worst in the world. 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 is not only the healthcare system that suffers from corruption; the problem persists through all the systems of this nation. How do we provide more awareness to forms of silent and normalized oppression? 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. Ben- Ari, Nirit , and Ernest Harsch. 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. - and in our heart there is the first peace we have known in 20 years., The article forced me to ponder about the existence of unfairness and injustice which inevitably and constantly hinders society because the individual discussed in the article experiences these factors in an unusual and rather extreme circumstance. Women are key targets for hygiene education in communities, which is helping to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases. This refers to the unequal treatment and lack of equal opportunities for individuals based on their gender, with women and girls often facing discrimination and disadvantage. Three quarters of these live in rural areas and yet the inequality gap between the urban and rural populations is still largely prevalent. Property and titles are inherited by male lineage, and men dominate in political leadership. The term intersectionality as stated by Susanne Hochreiter offers a way to understand the multiple grounds of identity when considering how the social world is constructed. 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 . By Abu Bakarr Benson, Youth & Girl Activist, Sierra Leone. Later the essay will explore to what extent contemporary policy attempts, specifically Structural Adjustment Plans, have succeeded in breaking the poverty cycle and reducing inequality. . But now, new laws, like the three known as the Gender Bills (passed June 14, 2007), are being passed to put an end to domestic violence (Saunders). Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: Stats SL and ICF. ), Greed and grievance. 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. In doing so, it has worked closely with communities andlocal agents of change, including religious leaders and faith-based organisations. Source: UNICEF global databases, 2021, based on DHS, MICS and other nationally representative surveys. 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. The curriculum focused on learning English (Fyle 1986) rather than skill based learning which would benefit rural children more practically gaining employability opportunities, generate income and alleviate their families from poverty. The dominance of an agricultural based economy highlighted previously, was reverted to after independence, due to an imperial economic structure built only to benefit the colonial power and not to sustain future growth. There has been progress, today, more girls and women are literate than ever before, and in a third of developing countries, there are more girls in school than boys. 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. Every person is born to be different. Similar levels appear on the other mid-Asian countries too. This is because many indigenous groups and their practices still support the belief that men are superior to men (Sierra Leone). It can be absolute or relative, chronic or temporary and is iften associated with inequality (Lok-Dessallien, R. 2000). She noted that after the launching, Sierra Leone will be one of the countries with high interest in women economic empowerment and gender equality but calls on the people of Sierra Leone to increase the total number of female parliamentarians, Ministers and women in leadership positions. What intrigued me the most was how females werent seen as priority enough to receive even the basic education level and were taught to be housewives from a very young age. Customary law is recognized throughout rural Sierra Leone and defines social relations between men and women, and frequently reinforces the inequality of women. The dominance of ruling class families meant chiefs received little competition and their guaranteed role for life meant they were at liberty to act despotically (Jackson and Rosberg 1982:17-19). Young Haitian girls must learn many things before they are considered young women in their society. However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. Sierra Leone: 153 (0.644) 0.643 177 137 0.662 125 0.756 Mauritania: 150 (0.620) 0.643 As a result, these nations will achieve gender equality as both females and males will be equally qualified for jobs. In recent years the government and its partners, including USAID have been focusing on providing women with access to financial services as it has the potential to act as a catalyst for enhancing womens economic, social and political empowerment. Giving birth to a child should not drastically change the status of females. However, justice is giving opportunity to those who are not privileged reach up to those who are privileged. 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. But, the country is starting to turn around. Copyright 2022 IPL.org All rights reserved. Though Sierra Leone global gender gap index fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 2018 - 2022 period ending at 0.67 index in 2022. For these reasons the gender wage gap is an important issue because disabling womens future disables the future of the children in this, Because of stereotypes, females have been considered as inferior to males, which is a bias assumption that society formed. To reflect the commitment of the Government in meeting global obligations, legislative reforms in the following critical areas - as required by the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) have been enacted: Domestic Violence Act 2007, Devolution of Estates Act 2007, Registration of Customary, Marriage and Divorce Act 2009, Child Rights Act 2007 and the Sexual Offences Act 2012. Sierra Leone Gender Analysis. 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. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. Celebrate women leaders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response and beyond, I am Generation Equality: Working together to achieve a gender-equal world, UNFPA Executive Director on International Womens Day. Their voices are being drowned out by the resistance of conservative religious groups and reluctant government officials. Oxfam in Sierra Leone. Gender inequity is a large issue being faced in Sierra Leone. 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 a deeply gendered society, where the socio-cultural norms that govern attitudes, behaviours, practices and expectations results in gender inequality. It proves a permanent truth that the more civilized the people are, the less inequality would be promoted. Nevertheless, gender inequality and denial of women's rights are still prevalent at all . However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. In Sierra Leone, schooling and literacy are something not all women are able to experience and accomplish. Sierra Leone has sustained low literacy rates, in 2013 this was still extremely low at 32.4% (World Bank). Nearly 60 per cent of people live below the poverty line and the effects of the pandemic are . Historically, women have been discriminated against and are heavily under-represented in the Globally, some progress on womens rights has been achieved. Because of all these discriminations and inequalities meted on them, pressure . . The first of such lessons is that nothing in life is equal or fair. Source: Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) and ICF. Humans frequently face adversity throughout daily lives, whether minor challenges or major hurdles; these problems include unretainable lost objects or the death of a beloved individual. Sierra Leone faces several problems regarding various forms of sexual violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, rape of adults and minors, marital rape, and school-related sexual abuse, as well as supposedly harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM). In Haitian, there are specific roles and social spaces that women occupy. Growing up in a educationally disadvantaged community I had always held the view that women didnt hold management positions, however since enrolled in college my views have significantly changed. The Essay Writing ExpertsUK Essay Experts. . These aspects have not completely disappeared in the modern day; they are just not as blunt as before. Alternatively if they cannot work to the best of their abilities due to illness, they may not be able to earn money through subsistence. The Government is doing a lot, donor co-ordination is strong, including a close group of 4 EU . This will give justice to these girls and equality and civil rights will not be. The reader takes a while to figure this out. The history witnesses how people mistreated the others and how other people fought for freedom. For each indicator, we calculate the 33rd and 66th percentiles of the distribution and, based on those two values, countries are classified as belonging to high performance, medium performance and low performance categories. Looking for a flexible role? The situation in Sierra Leone is one problem that needs the worlds attention and so, the affluent world and the UN should be able to look at problems such as this to create an equal opportunity and do justice for these girls. We see stereotypes, which are also known as judgements of people who you have no prior knowledge, of many times in our lifetime, for example, Islamic women terrorized by Americans for begin terrorists, or African Americans begin portrayed as dangerous criminals. A lock () or https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. 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. In M. Berdal & D. Malone (Eds. The body of 21-year-old . The voices of Sierra Leonean women are ignored in the debate about their own sexual and reproductive health. Overall, 10 million women and children are expected to benefit.7 Box1. Women account for 52 percent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 percent of elected positions. When it comes to education, everyone should be given the same opportunity no matter their race, gender or color. In some areas, however, progress toward gender equality has been limitedeven in developed countries. Closing these gender data gaps is essential for achieving gender-related SDG commitments in Sierra Leone. Rat traps can become too expensive thus reducing crop yield and profit. Some females have been taught their entire life that they will never be as good as the opposite sex, and so they began to believe those fabrications themselves. Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 August 2022: After sixty years of procrastination, the Parliament of Sierra Leone has today passed into law "The Customary Land Rights Act 2022", which the government says will address deep inequalities and discrimination in the ownership and control of land, especially in the provinces. Although many lawmakers, Being a woman in America A strong emphasis on the human rights, including reproductive rights, of individual women and men underpins all of UNFPA's work. Inequality is state of being unequal, particularly in rights, status and opportunities (UN 2015) this could mean in living standards, gender and many other metrics. According to The global gender gap index 2021, Iceland has the highest gender equality, indexed at 0.89 whereas the United Arab Emirates has the worst gender equality Ranked at 22. The adolescent birth rate is 102 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 as of 2018, down from 139.4 per 1,000 in 2015. 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. Not all people have the same talents or weaknesses, therefore, true equality is near impossible without limiting other people 's freedoms. Father Ferree wrote the social justice and talked about the most vulnerable and how everyone has a duty to help those in need. This would allow the teachers to teach all the students new, modern ideas. (Photo: Market women protesters in Freetown). 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. In the course of the campaign for the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in 2011, the current For most girls gender roles start being brainwashed into us from when we are born. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. In particular, it highlights women's increasing agency in acquiring knowledge, diffusing power, engaging in grassroots politics, and compelling the government to adopt more . Sierra Leone 2015 Housing and Population Survey and other studies indicated that more women than men are unemployed, poor, illiterate and are sexually assaulted. 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. It helps mobilize their productive capacity to alleviate poverty and to maximize economic output. Firstly, the only way to decrease the educational gap between males and females is to implement policies that decrease or completely remove school fees for girls and prohibit families from removing their daughters from school before the age of 18. As a result the poorest rural communities reliant upon agriculture have been forced to forage for bush yam, which is usually regarded as a famine food, prior to the harvest of July, as early as April which is planting time, this is an example of the dire poverty continuing year on year. There is a clear preference for boys' education, it is mostly because people think that investing in girls' education is just a waste of money, since there will not be the one that support a family financially. The Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPS) consisted of loans and later introduced Poverty Reduction Papers, which paralleled closely to the well-known Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, women of reproductive age (15-49 years) often face barriers with respect to their sexual and reproductive health and rights: in 2019, 53% of women had their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods. In urban contexts, women are carving paths to inclusion across . Access to quality education, retention and completion of school remain challenges for children in Sierra Leone. Sudanese women account for a larger percentage of the national . Moreover, the patriarchal structures in place hamper the debate, while at the same time restricting the effective implementation of the positive laws and regulations already in place. As of 2012, women embodied 24.1% of the National Assembly of Sudan. The Sierra Leone Parliament is set to host the HeForShe National Secretariat and hosting further sensitization activities in the provinces. There is also a very large amount of domestic violence towards women. But he has now become a fighter for the cause of women to realize their potentials. Not only will it empower women, but it will positively impact each family, community, and country. In particular, it highlights women's increasing agency in acquiring knowledge, diffusing power, engaging in grassroots politics, and compelling the government to adopt . Equality, after struggling and fighting for his freedom, finally knows why he lives and what has been missing in his life. Women in Sierra Leone face all sorts of obstacles when it comes to setting up their own business. He states, And in our heart-strange are the ways of evil! Equality is able to experience a free society through the characters he is reading about. In other words, should male and female be treated in the same way? Corruption within systems such as the healthcare system meant they failed to provide the basic medical needs of the poorest citizens, which is a key reason for the continuing existence of poverty. Sierra Leone, saw her small income vanish overnight during the COVID-19 outbreak. Doing well out of war. ", Saunders, Adelia. Many traditional cultures, including America, teach that men should lead in families, business, and government, but does that still hold true today?
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