Allies in Development

Earlier this week, 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, responded to the 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝟭𝟱-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 whose case was referred to us through one of the community schools we support on safeguarding.

This child’s vulnerability was not created by one moment alone. It was shaped by poverty, neglect, and unsafe conditions where survival too often depends on risking one’s safety.
Our team supported the survivor to 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 and 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 at the 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿, and we will continue monitoring the case closely.

But cases like this also expose another difficult reality: families often cannot afford the cost of seeking justice, including transportation, medical follow-up, and documentation. Yet local organizations like ours cannot turn survivors and their families away. We carry these responsibilities with extremely limited resources.
Child protection requires stronger investment in safeguarding systems, survivor support services, and community-based organizations already doing this work every day.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 👠 🏢🍼 🥣 🧹 👩🏾

Today, we recognize and celebrate the dignity of work, and the millions of workers whose contributions sustain our economies, communities, and homes.

At 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, we take this moment to especially acknowledge the critical contributions of 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, work that is foundational to society but continues to be undervalued

Evidence shows the scale of this imbalance. According to 𝗨𝗡 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻, women spend an average of 𝟰.𝟯 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 on unpaid care and domestic work, nearly three times more than men, who spend 𝟭.𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀. This unequal distribution limits women’s opportunities to participate fully in paid employment and economic life.

In Sierra Leone, where women make up 𝟱𝟮.𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, labour force participation is relatively high for both 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 (𝟳𝟭.𝟱%) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻 (𝟳𝟱.𝟱%). Yet these figures mask a deeper injustice:

• An estimated 𝟵𝟲.𝟲% 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 are engaged in informal employment
• 𝟰𝟬.𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 are engaged in unpaid domestic and care work

We must speak honestly: women’s unpaid domestic and care work falls outside the scope of Sierra Leone’s labour laws and policies, yet it is this work that makes conflict-free homes possible, keeps families functioning, and subsidizes the economy every day.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱
Because decent work must include:
✔ Fair wages
✔ Social protection
✔ Recognition of unpaid care and domestic work

The journey toward labour rights and equity in #𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 continues. We call on policymakers and institutions to advance this work with 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆.

📢📢𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

International Women’s Day is more than a celebration; it is a critical platform for change. As civil society and government actors in Sierra Leone commemorate progress, we must ask: Are we achieving impact, or are we simply following a routine?

Despite decades of advocacy, the statistics tell a sobering story:

▪️ 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁: 22 years after the 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 recommended social protection for survivors of civil war sexual violence, these needs remain unaddressed.

▪️ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Government spending on social protection (excluding healthcare) sits at approximately 𝟬.𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗗𝗣, well below the regional average.

▪️ 𝗔 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: Between 2022 and 2023, 𝟮𝟭,𝟲𝟳𝟵 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 were reported, yet 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟴% reached prosecution.

Behind these numbers are real lives. At 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, we are calling on leadership to move beyond rhetoric and prioritize:

1️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲: Rigorous prosecution for survivors.
2️⃣ 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀: Immediate support for those at risk.
3️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: Economic pathways to help women exit abusive
environments.
4️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲: Comprehensive long-term physical and mental health support.
5️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Safe, institutionalized protection programs. We thank activists and CSOs working tirelessly for gender equality and we urge the government to listen, invest, and act.

Join us. Engage with leaders. The message remains urgent: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Merry Christmas to from the AiD community to you.