Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 June 2013
14. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the high rates of gender based violence in Sierra Leone; the specific projects and programmes Irish Aid is implementing and supporting, to assist the survivors of gender based violence and tackle this pervasive human rights abuse, in Irish Aid’s newest key partner country. [30764/13]
View answerSierra Leone’s protracted civil war, in which 50,000 people died, fostered widespread abuse of human rights. Women suffered the brunt of the conflict, and experienced some of the most horrific acts of violence during the war. While Sierra Leone has made considerable progress towards peace and sustainable development since the end of the war in 2002, the country continues to suffer from a high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence. The most common forms of gender-based violence in Sierra Leone are domestic violence, sexual assault, physical violence against women and girls, female genital mutilation, and early and forced marriage.
The Government of Sierra Leone is making solid progress towards protecting, promoting and fulfilling human rights, and developing systems of good governance in terms of institutions and laws. The Government has established a Human Rights Commission and an Anti Corruption Commission, and has passed laws against sexual offences, domestic violence and child abuse. A national gender strategic plan and an action plan on gender-based violence are in place. However, implementation of these laws and strategies is, as yet, limited due in large part to resourcing and capacity challenges faced by the Government.
Gender-based violence is a significant contributory factor to poverty and ill-health worldwide and prevents many people, the vast majority of whom are women, from reaching their potential. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government is one of the key drivers behind the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence in which former President Mary Robinson plays such a prominent role. Tackling gender-based violence is a priority for Ireland’s aid programme, including in its newest Key Partner Country, Sierra Leone.
Since 2006, Ireland has provided over €2.1 million to the International Rescue Committee for its gender-based violence and women’s empowerment programme in Sierra Leone. I had the opportunity to visit this programme while in Sierra Leone last year and saw first-hand how Ireland’s contribution is helping to support activities focused on prevention of gender-based violence through awareness raising and training of women, school-children, and men, and economic empowerment of women. Our support has also allowed the International Rescue Committee to engage with the Government of Sierra Leone in order to build capacity of the Ministry for Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and to advocate for increased attention to issues affecting women and girls.
Ireland is also providing €1.4 million to the United Nations Development Programme for its programme, which seeks to improve the access to justice for gender-based violence survivors in Sierra Leone.
Ireland is committed to supporting the recovery efforts and successful transition of countries emerging from conflict or significant and protracted humanitarian crises. The recent announcement that Sierra Leone will become one of Irish Aid’s nine Key Partner Countries is testament to this commitment. Ireland will further strengthen its support for long-term reconstruction and development in Sierra Leone, working in close collaboration with the Sierra Leonean Government and other partners such as United Nations agencies and NGOs.
