Protecting Women's Rights throughout Covid-19

In March this year, the Sierra Leonean government declared a 12-month long state of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting public health emergency. These new measures included reducing the hours for market traders, restricting access to correctional centres, imposing lockdown periods, mandatory masks in public places, restricting travel between provinces, and a nationwide curfew.  We have found that these measures tend to disproportionately affect the marginalised women and girls we work with.

To respond to these new challenges, we have calling on the government to reduce overcrowding by releasing pre-trial and vulnerable detainees, continued to work towards the decriminalisation of petty offences to avoid more women being incarcerated for minor offences, and we have continued delivering welfare packs to those who need it most as part of our holistic support. 

In July, we worked with Mariama*, is a 23-year-old Commercial Sex Worker (CSW) based in Freetown. While she was working, she had a dispute with her client over the payment. After rendering her services, the client refused to pay her. During the quarrel, Mariama*, with the help of her pimps, seized the client’s phone in lieu of her payment. The client later reported the matter to the police. Mariama* was arrested for taking her client’s phone and for loitering during the newly instated COVID-19 curfew hours. 

AdvocAid’s paralegal discussed her issue with the police authorities and advocated for her release. The paralegals used Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve the dispute between Fatmata and the complainant and secure her release. Mariama* returned the client’s phone and the client paid for her services. ADR can be an effective way to resolve minor disputes, such as disputes over small debts, diverting them away from court and reducing the burden on the criminal justice system of Sierra Leone. This helps resolve cases without women spending time in pre-trial detention, reducing overcrowding and helping to  reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

AdvocAid would not have been able to support clients such as Mariama* in such a way had it not been for your continued support. On behalf of the women we work with, thank you for all of your generous donations to AdvocAid. 

From Monday September 14th - Friday September 18th, GlobalGiving will be launching the Little by Little Campaign, during which GlobalGiving will match donations up to $50 at 50% from a funding pot of $50,000 in matching funds. Fundraising opportunities like this are a unique chance for AdvocAid to access funds that can be used flexibly where they are the most needed.