Gender Equality Sierra Leone Project #33083

Help Women & Girls Escape Domestic Abuse and SGBV

by Unsilenced Voices

Help Women & Girls Escape Domestic Abuse and SGBV

Project Report | Dec 4, 2018
Community Sensitization Meetings

By Michelle Jewsbury | CEO

Unsilenced Voices holds monthly sensitization meetings in both Ghana and Sierra Leone. In Ghana, we partnered with the Ark Foundation to go into schools and educate children and teachers about domestic violence and sexual abuse. Amasaman Senior High School and Mampong Presbyterians Senior High School were the recipients of our most recent school sensitization.

The November sensitization workshop in Sierra Leone had 92 participants. Some of the community members gave us recommedations.

Recommendations
1. One of the participants suggested that the venue for this program should be rotational. Not just at one location.
2. The other said that most victims don't followup an abuse in police because of lack of financial support.

The community asked and we responded. We are now going into villages to hold sensitizations and we partnered with the Family Support Unit to provide assistance to vulnerable women who cannot afford their initial medical examination.

Links:

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Sep 6, 2018
Our First Year in Review

By Michelle Jewsbury | CEO

This is what we have done in just 1 year!

Making Contacts

We went to Accra, Ghana in November 2017 and began essential partnerships with

The Ark Foundation
Kayayei Youth Association
Domestic Violence & Victim Support Unit

The People Spoke

The Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2007 marking a shift in the legal recourse available to survivors of domestic violence. Even with fifty seven (57) divisions of DOVVSU in eleven (11) regions in Ghana, it is extremely rare for prosecution of husbands who commit domestic violence. Frequently, victims of domestic violence are blamed for the abuse.

And We Listened

Unsilenced Voices will explain the cycle of domestic violence in depth, examine the cultural beliefs and explain the proper way to communicate with victims to the communtiy.

The women will be able to utilize a shelter for a maximum stay of three months (3). All meals will be provided to the women and their children along with counseling, vocational teaching, community support groups, and school fees for their children. Any and all basic needs will be met including personal hygiene, sanitary napkins, basic medical and clothing.

Back to Ghana and now Sierra Leone

In April 2018, we went back to Ghana to solidify our partnerships and developed essential partnerships in Sierra Leone with

The Family Support Unit
Commit and Act Foundation
Bo Women's Skill's Training Centre

Most Sierra Leoneans, especially in rural areas understand domestic and gender-based violence related issues as family matters. This has not only promoted a high level of compromise in crimes committed against women and girls, but also grossly undermine their physical, emotional and psychological development.

We are moving fast

Six Partners Between 2 countries
Sensitization meetings in each community every month
Three girls we sponsor in Sierra Leone
A successful Poster Campaign
Employees in both countries
A solid team
And much more!

Unsilenced Voices' first annual fundraising gala will occur in Los Angeles in Spring 2019 (TBD based on the schedules of our honorary guests). It will be a mixture of a fashion show with skirts and ties from Sierra Leone, silent auction, red carpet, hors d’oeuvre’s, cocktails, videos, guest speakers, honorary guests and more! We are working with Alice Issac Productions for assistance with our event.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS!

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