By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their campaign in raising awareness on issues affecting women living with disabilities across the country, the Eminent Women with Disability in collaboration with One Family People on Wednesday 27th October, 2021 called on the Government of Sierra Leone to address issues affecting women living with disabilities across the country. This disclosure was made during a Press Conference held at the One Family People Head Office on Main Motor Road on Congo Cross in Freetown.
Reading a Press Statement by the Eminent Women one of their members, Esther Conteh, informed that their organization and One Family People are of the strong conviction that women with disabilities rightly demand the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, adding that they recognize and acknowledge that work remains to be done to ensure that the links between gender and disability feature more routinely in all spheres of the development strata and common approaches to disability rights ,specifically the rights of women with disability and gender equality, have yet to be placed centrally.
Esther Conteh pointed out that the 2030 for Sustainable Development also launched a call to “Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres”.
She said that effective change depends upon meaningful consultation and involvement of women with disabilities in public decision-making processes including through working with organizations of women with disabilities.
She further pointed out that Sexual and Gender Based Violence especially against women with disability is still a challenge. Making a reference she cited one such case which has to do with a young lady with speech and hearing impairment, who was brutally raped multiple times after undergoing a Caesarean operation. Sadly, she was left dead and that as women with disability they consider that sad incident as a wake-up call and have decided to unequivocally bring it to the attention of duty bearers and the general public the sad plight of women with disabilities as they continue to encounter barriers to access justice.
Against that backdrop, they asked all concerned parties to join them as they call for the following which includes
- That women and girls with disabilities must be recognized as equal rights holders before the law and should enjoy equal recognition of their legal capacity and their credibility.
- Women with disabilities must have access to information on their legal rights and the justice system, as well as necessary support services and accommodations to navigate and participate in the judicial process, including legal aid. And that information must be available in alternative formats to sure accessibility.
- Law enforcement, the judiciary and other actors involved in the administration of justice must be trained to handle cases concerning women with disabilities and to dismantle harmful stereotypes about credibility or capacity.
On behalf of the Eminent Women with Disability, she disclosed that they are willing and ready to join hands with duty bearers to ensure that they address those burning concerns.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, Saa Lamin Kortequee, commended the Eminent Women with Disability for their pro-activeness in raising the awareness on issues affecting women living with disabilities across the country, which he described as a move in the right direction by eradiating issues affecting these women in the country.
He said that as a Commission they are very concern about those issues as persons living with disability face double discrimination, especially women with disabilities and that as a country those issues must be addressed.
He described the case of a young lady with speech and hearing impairment, who was brutally raped multiple times after undergoing a caesarean operation as unfortunate, adding how actions must be taken in order to give justice to those victims.
The Chief Executive Officer of Advocacy Movement Network, Wilhemina Sho-Cole, said that the International Journal of Environmental Research on Public Health conducted a survey examining the prevalence of sexual and gender based violence of which they published a report in February 2020 which states that gender based violence against women in the Sub-Sahara Africa is on the increase with the West Africa Region experiencing 30 percent while Eastern Africa Region experiences 25 percent increase on emotional victims.
She added that UN Women has reported that according to the Sierra Leone demography health survey 2019 an estimated 62 percent of women age 15-29 reported having experience physical sexual violence, adding that despite the country’s commitment in the fight there are still challenges in winning the fight as sexual gender based violence remains a critical and unpleasant issue which the country is struggling to put an end to.
She applauded the Eminent Women with Disability for the move taken by them calling on stakeholders in order to address issues affecting women living with disabilities across the country.
Addressing the gathering, the Programme Manager of One Family People, Samuel P.O.V Macaulay maintained that their organization is a disability focused organization that has been working tremendously in creating a conducive environment for people living with disabilities across the country, adding discrimination against women has been happening from ancient days of which he said hands must be put on deck in order to eradicate the issue in the country.
He also used the opportunity to call on the Government of Sierra Leone and other relevant stakeholders to address issues affecting persons living with disabilities across the country more especially women living with disabilities whom, he said, deserve more care and attention as they are more vulnerable especially when it comes to sexual and gender based violence in the country.
