New York: United Nations Development Programme. It helps mobilize their productive capacity to alleviate poverty and to maximize economic output. We promote gender equality and women's empowerment across sectors by focusing on improving women's health, increasing their participation in governance at all levels through increasing the political, social and economic rights of women . And while forced conscription was mainly used against males, these crimes were committed almost always to women (Ben-Ari & Harsch). However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world - for every 100 000 live births, 890 women die during childbirth. According to the Gender Inequality Index (GII), Denmark was the most gender equal country in the world in 2021. The world has to do a petition to the Sierra Leone government to abolish this law. Equality is giving someone the same opportunity to make them equal. Gender equality and women's empowerment in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is central to the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 5, to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls. 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. Moreover, the patriarchal structures in place hamper the debate, while at the same time restricting the effective implementation of the positive laws and regulations already in place. . 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 that early marriage and teenage pregnancy can have on the lives of girls and their families. - and in our heart there is the first peace we have known in 20 years., The article forced me to ponder about the existence of unfairness and injustice which inevitably and constantly hinders society because the individual discussed in the article experiences these factors in an unusual and rather extreme circumstance. Gender inequality is a pervasive problem in many parts of the world, including Africa. Female singer and womens activist Millicent Rhodes performed Sierra Leones HeForShe song. Though Sierra Leone global gender gap index fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 2018 - 2022 period ending at 0.67 index in 2022. Equality started a family with his beloved, The Golden One and lived happily ever after (Rand, n.pag.). But he has now become a fighter for the cause of women to realize their potentials. In penetrating and clear-eyed fashion, the authors re-analyze the four crucial cases that flirted with the possiblity of comparable worth." . 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 . This again makes goods unaffordable for rural communities and forces them further into poverty and widens the gap in inequality between urban and rural areas. Click here to access a PDF version of this article. Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone pledged free access to health care. Similar levels appear on the other mid-Asian countries too. This story takes place in Sierra Leone. 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. 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. Historically, women have been discriminated against and are heavily under-represented in the As of February 2021, only 12.3% of seats in parliament were held by women. Enduring Disorder and Persistent Poverty: A Review of the Linkages between War and Chronic Poverty , Peet, Richard. The world should be a much better place and it will be if only people work for the common good of the people and abolishing the law. It becomes clear to him how much the government was taking from him. By Anjali Manivannan. Gender discrimination and poverty. In 2022, global gender gap index for Sierra Leone was 0.67 index. Women now make up over 40 percent of the global labour force. Almost 58% of girls get married before they turn 18 years old. Despite the significant strides made, many women continue to suffer marginalisation and discrimination, particularly in the areas of education, employment, political participation, and social justice. Sierra Leone was first colonialized by the British in 1787, their influence over hundreds of years affected all aspects of the nation, from trade structure to education system . Keywords: Sierra Leone, gender, artisanal mining, governance, genre, exploitation minire artisanale, gouvernance. Many traditional cultures, including America, teach that men should lead in families, business, and government, but does that still hold true today? The curriculum focused on learning English (Fyle 1986) rather than skill based learning which would benefit rural children more practically gaining employability opportunities, generate income and alleviate their families from poverty. In the rural labor force, women provide more than 60% of farm labor for food production, but this forms part of a larger power dynamic problem as men still possessed greater access to ownership and control of the production, reducing women to a marginal position. The country has a Gender Inequality Index-GII value of 0.644, ranking it 153 out of 162 countries in the 2018 Index. Giving birth to a child should not drastically change the status of females. As a result, these nations will achieve gender equality as both females and males will be equally qualified for jobs. Nevertheless, gender inequality and denial of womens rights are still prevalent at all levels in Sierra Leonean society even though the women for50.8 per cent of thepopulation. Sierra Leone is furthermore experiencing many challenges to gender equality unrelated to the outbreak of the Ebola virus. 61% of women in the Sierra Leone will experience gender-based violence (GBV) in their lifetime. Sierra Leone has sustained low literacy rates, in 2013 this was still extremely low at 32.4% (World Bank). Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty. The death of a young woman in Sierra Leone, almost immediately after undergoing female genital mutilation, has sparked outrage and revived calls to end the practice.. Inequality and Poverty: A Marxist-Geographic Theory., Addison, T. (2001) From Conflict to Recovery in Africa, Oxford University Press pg 31-39. Globally, some progress on womens rights has been achieved. Sierra Leone is a deeply gendered society, where the socio-cultural norms that govern attitudes, behaviours, practices and expectations results in gender inequality. Sierra Leone was first colonialized by the British in 1787, their influence over hundreds of years affected all aspects of the nation, from trade structure to education system, their influence had impacts which can be strongly related to the continuing existence of poverty and inequality which still exist today despite becoming formally independent in 1961. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. The voices of Sierra Leonean women are ignored in the debate about their own sexual and reproductive health. These qualities are just some of the degrading aspects of inequality. Gender inequity is a large issue being faced in Sierra Leone. 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. Most woman have been taught to not expect as much as a man, that we are inferior and its time to lay that sad lie to rest., While it is a generalization to say that all migrant women are treated this way, an alarming amount are, which creates a reason to discuss the issue. The country had been recovering from an 11-year war, which destroyed infrastructure and basic social services, when it was hit by an Ebola outbreak in 2014. 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. The education system based upon the British education system was developed to serve the best interests of the elite, focusing on a Western style curriculum unrelated to the environment of which the majority of students, from the rural areas, were to grow up in. Sierra Leone is also a part of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (MDGs). Sierra Leonean women are at risk for sexual and gender-based violence in the form of domestic violence, sexual assault of adults and minors, marital rape, school-related sexual abuse, and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation. Property and titles are inherited by male lineage, and men dominate in political leadership. This refers to the unequal treatment and lack of equal opportunities for individuals based on their gender, with women and girls often facing discrimination and disadvantage. Health promoters, many of them women, work with lead mothers to promote pro-nutrition actions among pregnant and lactating mothers for their own and their childrens benefit and to encourage mothers to attend prenatal and postnatal care. Women are key targets for hygiene education in communities, which is helping to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases. I would also like to know more about how far our society has improved in addressing this and where would I find sources elaborating our societys progress?, Yes, I Do Work Like a Girl: A Real Issue of Gender Inequality in the Workplace Providing universal access to, and ensuring the completion of, primary education for all girls and boys is one of the key areas of concern identified in the Beijing Platform for Action adopted in 1995. Gender Inequality In Sierra Leone. On average, a girl can expect to receive only six years of schooling (Kargbo). 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. . Gender-based violence in or around schools continues to be a serious and pressing problem in Sierra Leone that necessitates greater attention. The women of Sierra Leone have faced and still face grave inequalities, but this issue has started to have some solid improvement. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination and remain under-represented in decision-making processes. However, work still needs to be done in Sierra Leone to achieve gender equality. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. If you are looking for current information, visit www.usaid.gov. Women in Sierra Leone are used just like weapons in war (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Since social norms has contributed to the definition of appropriate lifestyle through parenthood, childlessness in women was seen as a deviant from society, which further led to disconnection between parents and childfree women in many contexts. He finally realizes that the life he was previously living is not the way he wants to live his life. Since 2004, we have shifted our program towards a more development-orientated approach working in both urban and rural areas. But now, new laws, like the three known as the Gender Bills (passed June 14, 2007), are being passed to put an end to domestic violence (Saunders). Equality is such an important thing in our everyday lives. ", Saunders, Adelia. Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Republic of Sierra Leone: Education sector analysis: assessing the enabling environment for gender equality Corporate author : UNESCO IIEP Dakar. Sierra Leone 2015 Housing and Population Survey and other studies indicated that more women than men are unemployed, poor, illiterate and are sexually assaulted. There is also a very large amount of domestic violence towards women. 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. Collier, P. (2000a). For every 1,000 girls in Sierra Leone, 112 will become mothers between ages 15 and 19. With a clear message and hope for increased knowledge of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as a blueprint for taking concrete action to stand up for human rights, UN Resident Coordinator (RC) Babatunde Ahonsi on Monday, used the United Nations in . Our society thrives off of each person being unique from everyone else, but still being treated equally. Economic agendas in civil wars. The Sierra Leone parliament has passed a long-awaited Gender Empowerment Act which establishes a minimum gender quota for female parliamentarians. Young Haitian girls must learn many things before they are considered young women in their society. Women in Sierra Leone face all sorts of obstacles when it comes to setting up their own business. Women in Sierra Leone are used just like weapons in war (Ben-Ari & Harsch). Women account for 52 percent of the total population in Sierra Leone yet occupy less than 20 percent of elected positions. The rural families, also considered those in the poorest quintile of income, require their children to assist in labour, which is why over 53% of children (World Bank 2014) in the poorest quintile leave education before they complete secondary education. This is trying to help eliminate gender discrimination in many countries, including Sierra Leone (MDGs). The issue of gender inequity in Sierra Leone is changing and has been improved over the past few years, but it is still not the best it can be. Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: Stats SL and ICF. Issues of unequal opportunities for boys and girls continue to be exacerbated by factors such as early marriage for girls, teenage pregnancies and harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). that early marriage and teenage pregnancy can have on the lives of girls and their families. Current activities also supported by UNFPA include community mobilisation/sensitisation and demand creation activities for family planning, reproductive health and fistula services. Sierra Leone represents a unique case to assess the gendered impacts of COVID-19. An official website of the United States government. No one is exactly like another human on this planet. Achieving gender equity remains a challenge in Sierra Leone. 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