Objectives:
1. Prevention of conflict, including violence against women and children:
- Commitment for the implementation of Resolutions 1325 and 1820 by related MDAs especially Security Sector Institutions, Education, Finance, Heath and including Political Parties increased.
- Policies, mechanisms and procedures for prevention of conflict/violence against women instituted at community levels.
- Legal environment for the protection of women’s rights and security improved.
- Gender responsive behaviour for prevention of violence against women and children and for peace consolidation strengthened.
2. Contribute to increased protection, empowerment and support of victims and vulnerable persons, especially women/girls:
- Reporting of SGBV cases at national and community levels increased.
- Health (psychosocial) economic and legal and support provided to vulnerable persons including victims and survivors.
- Government measures and benefits for women and girls in vulnerable situation increased to ensure the respect for their social and economic rights.
3. Contribute to increased prosecution of perpetrators as well as rehabilitation of victims:
- Government advocated to fully implement the recommendations of the TRC report on Women.
- Institutional and other mechanisms in the Justice Sector strengthened to prevent and respond to sexual violence.
- Reporting of SGBV at national and community levels increased.
Commentary:
Sierra Leone’s history of conflict has deeply informed its involvement in the WPS Agenda. The NAP identifies the post-conflict Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a key point at which the country began to grapple with the gendered impact of conflict, and subsequent efforts have been made to better integrate a gender-sensitive approach to conflict prevention. This NAP is built off of a fact-finding mission carried out throughout the country gathering data on the successes and failures of existing efforts to realize women’s rights and gender-mainstreaming, so the process was relatively data driven. Additionally, this NAP is incredibly detailed in outlining the funding mechanisms and necessary budget for achieving each of the implementation pillars. This plan is integrated into broader peace-building initiatives, and as such has a large focus on addressing and responding to gender-based violence and including a gender-sensitive approach to transitional judicial mechanisms, including victim and perpetrator reintegration.
Civil Society:
This NAP has a section dedicated to identifying where civil society has been involved in the consultation and implementation process, as well as identifying key international and domestic civil society organizations that have played a role. By identifying civil society stakeholders in each target, Sierra Leone’s NAP seems poised to robustly include civil society in implementation of its plan. However, LSE’s WPS Centre still notes that civil society involvement in drafting the plan was minimal.
Peacekeeping Statistics:
Police: 8 out of 28
Staff Officers: 8 out of 29
Experts on Mission: 10 out of 16
References:
https://www.wpsnaps.org/nap/sierra-leonean-national-action-plan/
https://www.wpsnaps.org/app/uploads/2019/09/Sierra-Leone-NAP-2010.pdf