The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MGCA) on Tuesday 11th June 2024 engaged members of the Female Parliamentary Caucus at Committee Room Number 1, Parliament Building, Tower Hill in Freetown at which event the Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Isata Mahoi revealed that the engagement is to first and foremost inform members of the Female Parliamentary Caucus about the Child Rights Bill 2024 for their support and collaboration before it is presented to the plenary but noted that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a controversial issue.
Dr. Mahoi appealed to members of the Female Parliamentary Caucus to lobby their male colleagues to enact the Bill when tabled in Parliament, recalled that they have held consultations with Paramount Chiefs, the Council of Sowies and other stakeholders nationwide on FGM, that initiation into FGM can be delayed for girls 18 years and below, clarified that the Child Rights Act would not abolish FGM and revealed plans to establish Cultural Centers in all 16 Districts in the country where women can assemble and discuss issues affecting them, especially development concerns.
She also assured that the Ministry would invite Paramount Chiefs and other stakeholders to Parliament when the Bill is tabled in the House intimating that they are still working on the draft Bill.
The Minister further called for the capacitation of female MPs, urged them to fill the gaps in the Child Rights Act as well as harmonize other provisions in the Child Marriage and other Acts and underscored the need for all stakeholders to work together to protect the country’s children observing that the Child Labour and Child Marriage Acts respectively are all problematic.
She also revealed that most Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) cannot effectively bring development to the people due to lack of adequate resources, lamented that inspite of the challenges in the country women are still striving and that Sierra Leone is making progress internationally as it is being cited as a sterling example globally for enacting the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act 2022 (GEWE) among others.
Dr. Mahoi went on to disclose that the Ministry has started implementing the GEWE, recalled the launching of the Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians (NeWMaP) by His Excellency the President on Tuesday 21st November 2023 which she reiterated is a landmark event and similar such developments supported by partners like SEND-Sierra Leone and Campaign for Good Governance, informed that they have a Strategy for Street Children and guaranteed the protection of all Sierra Leonean children.
The President of the Female Parliamentary Caucus, Hon. Bernadette Wayatta Songa of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) assured that they would have a Legislative Session on the Child Rights Bill later.
The moderator of the session, Hon. Veronica Sesay of the SLPP underscored that they would do justice to the Bill to address issues affecting women and children and that they would make their voices heard internationally pointing out that Sierra Leone is cited as a case study globally but noted that they would not support the banning of FGM, an issue that is a thorn in their flesh.
The Permanent Secretary in the MGCA intimated that they would establish a database of Sowies nationwide, that they have a matrix on existing laws affecting children and would include emerging issues in the Bill for them to be well informed and guided to avoid contradictions as Sierra Leone is a signatory to several international treaties and agreements observing that FGM and Early Marriage are linked.
During the question and answer session, members of the Female Parliamentary Caucus were assured that there would be penalties for forceful initiation into the FGM that is a “political suicide” for MPs, that there is need to register Sowies as some of them are practicing illegally, that Sowies would be part and parcel of the sensitization of the Act when passed by Parliament and that there are very good laws in the country but implementation is a challenge.
Other issues highlighted were foreign interference to end FGM, alternative sources of income for Sowies and whether the Ministry is capacitated to sensitize the nation after the Bill would have been enacted.
