By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to advance the campaign against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) which has spiked in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Sierra Leone Association of Women in Journalism (SLAWIJ) has joined other countries to commemorate 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence which is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls which runs every year from the 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to the 10 December, which is Human Rights Day.
Speaking to the Media, the Executive President the Sierra Leone Association of Women in Journalism (SLAWIJ), Millicent Kargbo, disclosed that SLAWIJ is a group of female journalists established in March 2020 as a body corporate with the chief aim of advancing and promoting female journalists in the country which, according to her, they have been doing through their advocacy programs in the media, adding that they have been building their capacities to ensure that they support issues relating to women and girls in the country.
She maintained that since their inception they have engaged in several development issues geared towards promoting issues of women and girls in the country, adding that in the bid to complement the effort of the Government to reach out to communities with preventive messages against the coronavirus, the Sierra Leone Association of Women In Journalism (SLAWIJ), headed by its Executive President, Millicent Kargbo and other members of the Association, embarked on a community awareness raising campaign at Oku Town in Wellington and other part of the country.
Millicent Kargbo also revealed that in August this year they also signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rainbo Initiative which is focused on the use of the media in the campaign against SGBV through awareness-raising of the relevant laws; ensuring victims have justice and the support they need to move on and rebuild their lives as well as exposing SGBV cases with a view to ensure that those responsible for perpetrating such acts are held accountable.
She revealed further that as a responsible organization that has been advocating for women and girl related issues in the country thought it fit to join the world to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based..
Millicent Kargbo noted that since the commencement of this 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence they have been engaging the media as well as communities through awareness rising on Gender-Based Violence prevention across the country.
She said as an organization they are categorically saying no to Gender-Based Violence against Women and in that regard called on, especially men to support the development of women and urged all to say no to sexual penetration against the girl child, adding that they do not have a place for such in society and that they will not sit as women and condone such because the future of the country will be risky if such issues continue to occur.
