Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: New Publication: "Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Sierra Leone: Mapping Challenges, Responses and Future Entry Points"

Addressing gender-based violence, which has affected many thousands of women and children in Sierra Leone, is a critical element of building peace. This briefing paper explores the issue and identifies strategies to enhance prevention and response to VAW.

Sierra Leone: Women politicians reluctant to campaign against FGM

Promising to fight the practice of FGM should be a winning strategy for someone hoping to be elected to parliament this Saturday in Sierra Leone -- where about 90 percent of girls and women undergo FGM, according to rights watchdog Amnesty International.

Sierra Leone: Forced marriage appeal may influence the ICC

An appeal against forced marriage acquittals at the Special Court for Sierra Leone might have bearing on prosecutions at the International Criminal Court.

Sierra Leone: Gender Laws Mean Greater Rights and Protection for Women

"Registering customary marriages provides women with the legal right to own property and other rights in marriage, making this a great step forward for rural women in particular."

Sierra Leone: FGM used as a weapon of political campaign

‘'It is not an easy job ... At crucial moments I get chased out of places where the practice is much more prevalent,'' complains Ann Marie Caulker, who is championing the campaign to end the age-old tradition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Sierra Leone: Protestations internationales contre l'assassinat de FannyAnn Eddy, militante de l'Association lesbienne et gaie de la Sierra Leone

FannyAnn Eddy, fondatrice et militante de l'Association lesbienne et gaie de Sierra Leona (SLLAGA) a été assassinée le 29 septembre dernier.

Sierra Leone: Lesbian Rights Activist Brutally Murdered

The government of Sierra Leone should bring to justice those responsible for the brutal murder of FannyAnn Eddy, founder of the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association and a lesbian rights activist known across Africa, Human Rights Watch said today.

Sierra Leone: Forced Marriage - 'Crime Against Humanity' in Special Court

Prosecutors at the Special Court for Sierra Leone have asked the tribunal's trial chamber to amend all previously issued indictments to include a new crime against humanity - forced marriage.