Gender Equality Sierra Leone Project #27810

Supporting 350 Female Detainees in Sierra Leone

by AdvocAid

Supporting 350 Female Detainees in Sierra Leone

Project Report | Jan 18, 2023
Justice delayed is justice denied

By Rebecca Mweru Kabejja | Advocacy Specialist

“Justice delayed is justice denied” is a story for many Sierra Leonean women convicted of a crime, having to wait very long periods for justice. AdvocAid offers legal empowerment services, supporting these women to become aware of their legal rights, and reducing their vulnerability. This is a case study of the kind of support AdvocAid provides to women that come into contact with the law, thanks to individuals like you.

In late 2020, Aisha - a 64-year-old woman - was arrested and charged with murder. Her first interaction with AdvocAid’s paralegal in Makeni, was when she was performing police station monitoring and giving legal education to the women that were detained. Aisha informed the paralegal that she was arrested for a crime she did not commit.

According to Aisha, she and the deceased had had a physical dispute three months earlier, however it had been settled by the chief and other community elders. Since then, they had had a good relationship, and had been together just a few days before the death.

AdvocAid’s paralegal interacted with the police officers so that she could verify Aisha’s police statement - this is because oftentimes the women we work with sign police statements whose details they are not aware of. The paralegal also educated Aisha on her rights as a detainee, amd informed her about the pathways to prison, so that she could understand some of the reasons women end up in prison in Sierra Leone.

Our paralegal referred Aisha’s case to one of AdvocAid’s Duty Counsels and also made sure our social worker was aware of her and her needs. The AdvocAid Duty Counsel represented Aisha at the Magistrates Court, and at the High Court, and it was from here that the case was later reduced to manslaughter. Our social worker supported Aisha, providing her with counselling services and psychosocial support services - including welfare support, while in detention and throughout the court sittings.

At every court sitting, the AdvocAid paralegal and social worker attended court with Aisha - to not only monitor court proceedings, but to also give her the emotional support needed, as her family members were not present. Two years later, in 2022, Aisha was acquitted and discharged, because the Prosecution failed to produce their witnesses in court. As the matter had been in the High Court since 2020, the Judge thought it fit to give Aisha her freedom.

It is because of the financial support that each one of you gives, that AdvocAid is able to provide these holistic legal services to incarcerated women. Making sure they’re not only represented, but informed about what is happening, and holding their hand through the process. Making sure justice is served. So we thank you, for your continued support of the work AdvocAid does.

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Sep 20, 2022
International Women's Day celebration

By Julieta Castineira de Dios | Development Associate

To join the International Women's Day celebration, AdvocAid organised an event in the Freetown Female Correctional Centre in March 2022. The event counted the presence of dignitaries like the British High Commissioner, the Irish Aid Ambassador, CPS, several Stakeholders like Women in Media Sierra Leone, representatives from the Ministry of Gender, and the Sierra Leone Police Force.

“Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women's equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.”

As this year’s theme was “Break the bias,” the event aimed to increase understanding of the effects and social impact of gender bias, articulate possible strategies that different stakeholders can apply to eliminate gender bias and create wariness on available psychosocial support systems for women and girls detained in correctional centres.

During the event, the British High Commissioner stated that breaking the bias brings attention to the norms, traditions, and gender imbalances women experience in the private and public sectors. She highlighted the challenges women face in correctional centres, specifically related to the lack of proper sanitation for them and their children. She emphasised the need to align the conditions of the correctional centres with international standards in order to provide adequate treatment to women in detentions. Additionally, she remarked on the need to create opportunities for women so they can sustain themselves after being released.

After that, two formerly incarcerated women that work with AdvocAid, shared their life experiences before, during, and after incarceration. They covered aspects of reintegration in their communities, creative, supportive structures for families of incarcerated women, and available economic opportunities upon release.

To finalise the event, there was an auction, where women sold the supplies they made in the correctional centre, with beads and other materials that AdvocAid provides.

Your donations allow us to continue supporting these women - Tenki.

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May 28, 2022
Supporting Babies Detained with Their Mothers

By Rebecca Mweru Kabejja | Advocacy Specialist

AdvocAid's Makeni paralegal visiting the twins

Thanks to your donations, we are able to continue providing support to children who are detained in prison with their mothers.

For example, Mariatu* is detained with twin babies. She has been detained since October 2020, while pregnant, and gave birth in the Correctional Centre. She was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for wounding with intent and did not have adequate legal representation during the length of her trial. She had an altercation with a woman who was having an affair with her husband. The provocation and emotional abuse were not fully taken into consideration and she was given a severe sentence given that she has children to take care of inside and outside of detention.

AdvocAid has continued to provide food, clothes and other items for the twins as well as support to other children who are detained with their mothers. These children are invisible victims of imprisonment. A Global Study found that an estimated 19,000 children are living in prison with their parent, most often their mothers.

We continue to advocate for alternatives to incarceration for women with caring responsabilities, as provided for by regional and international standards. In January 2022, we issued a press release with our partner, Purposeful, highlighting the gender-disparity in the number of women who were granted Presidential Pardons. Only 5 women out of 160 incarcerated people were granted pardons during the Christmas and New Year's Day pardons. A number of women who are imprisoned with young children were not considered for a Presidential Pardon.

Your donations enable us to continue supporting these women and their children - Tenki.

A woman detained with her child

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