gender inequality in sierra leone

Inequality based on gender is a serious concern in modern times the world over; men and women are yet to enjoy the same privileges. 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. But he has now become a fighter for the cause of women to realize their potentials. 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. 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. 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. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination and remain under-represented in decision-making processes. For the individual woman, poverty and gender inequality are key factors affecting demand for healthcare services. Historically, women have been discriminated against and are heavily under-represented in the Gender Inequality In Sierra Leone. For example transfer of state resources to the elite. 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. 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. Source: Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) and ICF. At the core of such violence is gender inequality that is pervasive in Sierra Leone society. He knows it is against the law but he enjoys knowledge so much, it confuses him. In Sierra Leone, progress has been made in expanding opportunities for women and girls to promote gender equality and empowerment of women. Alternatively if they cannot work to the best of their abilities due to illness, they may not be able to earn money through subsistence. A strong emphasis on the human rights, including reproductive rights, of individual women and men underpins all of UNFPA's work. 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. Equality among people justifies the development of human civilization. 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 . *You can also browse our support articles here >. In Haitian, there are specific roles and social spaces that women occupy. Officially the Local Court is the only institution permitted to adjudicate customary law, under the Local Courts Act of 1963. On this International Womens Day, we celebrate all women, and particularly those leading the charge for equality. Addressing harmful practices are also covered by raising awareness on both the potential short and longer-term health consequences, human rights violations of FGM, and the negative impact. Women account for 52 per cent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 percent of elected positions. The moral purpose of a mans life is the achievement of his own happiness. (The Ethics of. 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 represents a unique case to assess the gendered impacts of COVID-19. 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.). According to the minister, the bill which is now a government document will be gazetted and laid in the well of parliament. The country was rated 153 out of 162 in the 2018 index, clearly exposing the gender inequality gap. Their voices are being drowned out by the resistance of conservative religious groups and reluctant government officials. This year, Sierra Leone has been elevated to a partner country for Irish Aid, with funding for malnutrition and gender inequality including sexual violence. But, the country is starting to turn around. Equality is able to experience a free society through the characters he is reading about. If the breadwinner of the household passed away, the entire household would have less income and could be driven deeper into poverty. I have seen Latina maids and European nannies, but I never thought about how those women could have been mistreated. 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. 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. 29.6% of women aged 2024 years old who were married or in a union before age 18. 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?. America exploits woman, while still not considering us equal. Their voice, visibility, participation and representation in elective and appointment positions remain very low compared to men. Imagine being someone who was free, but oppressed in other ways; to be unable to work the same way that a man was no matter how smart you were, to be forced into doing what ladies do; to be stepped over and disregardedall because of the gender you were born as. UN Women Representative to Ethiopia, African Union and Economic Commission for Africa, Letty Chiwara making a statement at the HeForShe Launch. Being that I am a female and I am Sierra Leonean, now I view the inequality and unjust treatment of females in the developing world as a major problem that needs an urgent solution. Women make up much of the farming workforce, says Yeanoh. The civil war and the Ebola crisis changed gender norms in favour of emancipation of women. 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 Inequality Index is a composite measure reflecting inequality . UNFPA works with the Ministry of Gender and Childrens Affairs by providing capacity building through financial and technical assistance. 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). The women of Sierra Leone have faced and still face grave inequalities, but this issue has started to have some solid improvement. Colonization in the country really left the beliefs on gender equality the same, and they have really remained the same since. Gender-Based Violence. Many countries, including Sierra Leone, face a crisis in providing quality . Because of all these discriminations and inequalities meted on them, pressure . 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. Poverty is a complex term that includes social, economic and political elements (Sabates, R. 2008). In many ways then Goal 8 and Goal 10 are inextricably linked. Stewart, F. (1998). The female literacy rate has gone from 16.7 percent in 1996 to 23 percent in 2004 (MDGs Sierra Leone). http://org.newtrier.k12.il.us/academics/faculty/hjelmgren/africa09proj3lev.html. Many traditional cultures, including America, teach that men should lead in families, business, and government, but does that still hold true today? Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh Signing the HeForShe Board. 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. Gender discrimination and poverty. For every 1,000 girls in Sierra Leone, 112 will become mothers between ages 15 and 19. Equality is giving someone the same opportunity to make them equal. 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. It helps mobilize their productive capacity to alleviate poverty and to maximize economic output. Property and titles are inherited by male lineage, and men dominate in political leadership. Legalizing Gender Inequality persuasively refutes this strong-form market-based defense. 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. If you are looking for current information, visit www.usaid.gov. Equality comes with progress and progress takes time. The Sierra Leone parliament has passed a long-awaited Gender Empowerment Act which establishes a minimum gender quota for female parliamentarians. Regardless of what affects it more, both are still major contributors to the continued persistence of gender inequality in developing countries. The system required totally restructuring, which to this day has not been fulfilled. . As of december 2020, only 41.7% of indicators needed to monitor the SDGs from a gender perspective were available, with gaps in key areas, in particular: unpaid care and domestic work and key labour market indicators, such as the gender pay gap. Around one-third of households are headed by women - these are families where the male household head is absent due to, divorce, death, or long-distance migration. 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. Gender-based violence in or around schools continues to be a serious and pressing problem in Sierra Leone that necessitates greater attention. Tax incentives resulted in massive revenue losses for Sierra Leone. The reasons for the continuing existence of poverty and inequality are highly complex and overlapping in nature. The years of indirect colonial rule meant Sierra Leone didnt have the knowledge, experience or facilities to manage its disbanded country and its potentials. A lock () or https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. If your specific country is not listed, please select the UK version of the site, as this is best suited to international visitors. 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. In Ayn Rands novella Anthem, we are introduced to this society that has fallen back into the times of the Great Rebirth. 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. 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. 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. However, justice is giving opportunity to those who are not privileged reach up to those who are privileged. 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. The root causes of conflict: evidence and policy implications. Information released online before January, 2021. 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). 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. Giving birth to a child should not drastically change the status of females. 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. Equality, it is the state or quality of being equal, everyone in every nations deserves the right to be equal. When it comes to education, everyone should be given the same opportunity no matter their race, gender or color. Women now make up over 40 percent of the global labour force. Despite the . Awareness raising on relevant legislation involving gender based violence, support to access free legal counselling/representation, and access to medical care for the victims and survivors of gender-based violence are among the key activities. 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 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. Women are key targets for hygiene education in communities, which is helping to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases. ), Greed and grievance. 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. When a society is ruled in a communistic fashion, like Harrison Bergeron and Anthem, pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. He also called on Sierra Leonean men to treat girls as their daughters instead of wives. 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. Since then, considerable progress has been made in achieving universal primary education and closing the gender gap in enrollment. Women in Sierra Leone face all sorts of obstacles when it comes to setting up their own business. The Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPS) consisted of loans and later introduced Poverty Reduction Papers, which paralleled closely to the well-known Millennium Development Goals. 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. 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