UN 2021 Report: An Assessment of Sierra Leone’s Progress under the New Direction

Part 2

By Cyril Barnes & Mohamed L. Massaquoi

In our maiden article, we explored the strides of His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada in the Agricultural Sector in four years, regarding Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security, and Climatic Resilience as captured in the recent United Nations Country Annual Results Report – 2021.

We provided an in-depth analysis of the implementation and impact of the Home-Grown School Feeding program, resulting in an exponential growth in school enrollment; the government’s policy shift from subsistence farming to mechanized farming aiming to attract private sector investment, the training of farmers, provision of farmlands and machines, and the increased budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture, all of which are geared towards addressing food insufficiency.

Transformational Governance
In this article, we dilate on the second thematic area, which is the impact of Transformational Governance in Sierra Leone, looking at structural adjustments in legal reforms, access to justice, and gender empowerment, as well as the livelihood improvement of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), which form part of the key contributions of the New Direction administration.

Before 2018, access to justice was a near impossibility; the Justice sector had a centralised system with overpopulated inmates and a limited number of judges to adjudicate cases. In four years, the justice system has been decentralised, with 65 judges and magistrates and paralegals trained to increase legal representation services nationwide. Social Security Courts, Anti-Corruption Courts, and the Sexual Offences Model Court have been established, and both criminal and civil matters have been expeditiously adjudicated.

Mid last year, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, through the House of Parliament, expunged the Death Penalty—a Capital Punishment—from our law books. Capital punishment was viewed by many as a tool used by past politicians to eliminate political dissidents and opposition members. Today, Sierra Leone stands shoulder-high with the rest of the world to celebrate the abolition of capital punishment.

According to the UN report, there has been improved access to justice, especially for vulnerable populations, including children, women and migrants through the development and review of legal and policy frameworks, strengthening and establishment of local service centres, and provision of direct support to survivors of violence. An improved legal representation resulted in increased convictions for sexual offences and with the UN’s support, the Judiciary, Legal Aid Board (LAB), the Justice Sector Coordination Office and the Ministry of Justice increased local access to justice mechanisms through training of paralegals.

Protection of Women and Girls
To combat the increased rate of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, the government, through the Office of the First Lady, launched the Hands-Off-Our-Girls campaign to raise public awareness and eradicate the harmful practices experienced by women and girls. Her Excellency has succeeded in wooing support across the country through the involvement of traditional and religious leaders. Today, with the heightened awareness, coupled with the strong legal frameworks to punish perpetrators, victims feel more confident than ever before to report whenever they feel abused or threatened.

The One-Stop Centre, an initiative launched by the government to provide survivor-care and psychological support, among others, for victims of gender-based violence, translates further the government’s commitment to protecting women and girls. The UN acknowledged the gains made by the One-Stop Centre and the increasing number of women who have benefited from the service since its launch in 2020.

The Gender Empowerment
The inclusion of women in the affairs of the state has featured in almost every campaign manifesto in Sierra Leone; however, the question has always been: to what extent did successive governments go to actualise what, hitherto, looked like political rhetoric? Well, we have some gains now to celebrate as a nation. In the past four years, we have witnessed genuine efforts being made by the Bio-led government to correct this anomaly. The President has demonstrated this commitment through the appointment of women in top public offices as well as supporting the candidature of Sierra Leonean women on the international stage. Justice Miatta Samba, a Sierra Leonean Judge at the International Criminal Court, would pass for a great example.

On the legislative front, the President has demonstrated willingness to ensure that the long-talked-about Gender Empowerment Bill becomes a reality. Upgrading the financial status of women also forms a component of gender empowerment. Like Linda Renna, a small-scale businesswoman quoted in the UN Report, many women entrepreneurs across the country have benefited from business development training and skills support programs, thereby increasing access to finance and of course, improving their livelihood. This means that, across the country, more homes now have access to “Bread and Butter”.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)
The UN mentioned the efforts made by the government to improve the welfare of PWDs. The government’s effort has been visible through interventions, like skills development, SME training programs and cash support, as part of sustainable livelihood solutions for PWDs. In a bid to support the most vulnerable in society, the government also supported PWDs with direct cash and other supports at the height of COVID-19 to cushion the economic impact of the pandemic on their daily livelihood.

In our next publication, we will digress on Access to Basic Services relative to the provision of quality education, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and health care as key development components of the New Direction.