By Ragan M. Conteh
The Legal Aid Board (LAB) of Sierra Leone has celebrated the International Women’s Day on the theme, “Mitigating sexual and gender-based violence, before, during and after the 2023 elections”.
The celebration took place at the Freetown City Council Hall.
Addressing participants at the ceremony, the Legal Aid Board Executive Director, Ms Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the day is to celebrate women around the world.
According to the Executive Director, mitigating gender based violence is key in Sierra Leone, especially during and after the elections period.
She said violence in elections is intolerable in Sierra Leone, adding that as an institution, they strongly condemn violence during the electioneering period.
She warned participants during the celebration not to get involved in violence before, during and after the elections.
‘We only have one Sierra Leone. This 2023 elections should be an election of peace and unity devoid of hate speech, provocation and breaking the electoral laws,’ she said.
In his submissions, the Inspector General (IG) of the Sierra Leone Police William Faya Sellu said the day is very important for women not of only Sierra Leone but the world over, adding that the day marks the end of all forms of discrimination and violence in society, adding that the day is also to celebrate women for the significant roles they play in nation building especially social, cultural and economic achievements.
IG Sellu stated that the issue of gender equality and gender parity has been in existence for many years without improvement, adding that there are many examples of women that have done exemplarily well in Sierra Leone since 1908.
He expressed thanks to his wife for the good work, adding that his wife has done everything for him to be where he is today.
Speaking on the electioneering processes and violence during elections, he said, ‘We have nowhere to go. This is our country and we all need to stay united and focused during elections period.’
Moving forward towards elections he said many people are in Pademba Road Prison who were involved in the August 10, the midterm census saga, and other events that had to do with riotous conduct. The IG stated that the police have stepped up efforts and set up structures to prevent elections violence by putting out messages of peace in communities.
He said they will be reviving the old structures by engaging chiefs, police partnership boards and other anti-violence campaigns across the country.
‘Everyone is a relative to each other in Sierra Leone. This is a warning to those who perpetuate violence during and after elections,’ IG Sellu said.
He spoke about drug consumption and urged all that engaged in illicit drug use to desist henceforth.
The Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Konneh thanked the Legal Aid Board for the non-violence sensitisation meeting, which he called timely.
He said the International Women’s Day is very special after women have suffered for so long.
He said the nonviolence sensitisation meeting was timely; adding that everyone is talking about peace, asking participants what is the trigger for the forthcoming elections to be violent.
He said if all Sierra Leoneans want the elections to be peaceful it will be peaceful and if all deemed it prudent that the forthcoming elections would be violent then it will also be violent.
Konneh said the people are responsible for the peace of the country, adding that as ECSL they have guiding principles to ensure peaceful, fair, open and transparent elections.
He said the ECSL’s actions could also trigger violence but as a commission that has ensured over the years they maintained the credibility of the commission.
He said any political party that fails to adhere to electioneering laws that talks about two men one woman will be disqualified.
Commissioner Mohamed Konneh said the 2023 general elections will be based on the Proportional Representation (PR) system.
Konneh said parents have the responsibility to maintain peace and warn their children to stay away from elections violence, reminding that elections violence had reversed the gains in the sub-region and urged all to abstain from elections violence.
Other speakers expressed similar sentiments.