In 2007, progressive laws were passed in Sierra Leone to address sexual violence and reinforce women’s rights; in the two years since the adoption of these laws, sexual violence continues to pervade the nation, with “government and social services struggl[ing] to implement the laws,” as IRIN reports. The 2007 Gender Act criminalized violence against women and sexual abuse, both inside and outside of marriage. In speaking with government officials and local NGOs, IRIN reports that none could cite a case of the successful prosecution of perpetrators owing to the new law.

Fatu Kargbo, director of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, recently told IRIN that “up to 67 percent of urban Sierra Leonean women were victims of domestic violence in 2008.” A lack of adequate infrastructure and funding leaves counseling and treatment clinics without the capacity to respond to victims, one magistrate even attempts to serve 360,000 citizens. Many cases are dismissed even before entering the court, since medical certificates, required in rape cases, are very difficult to obtain with only one doctor for every 18,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.

The relatively new law has not yet been popularized, which NGO workers and government officials such as Isha Bangura, director of the police Family Support Unit, are trying to remedy. Bangura believes that despite gaps in capacity, political will is mounting to effectively address sexual violence. Coordination between various government agencies and the NGO field is seen as critical to responding to violence against women in Sierra Leone.

SIERRA LEONE: Sexual violence defies new law