SLEFPAC MITIGATING STRATEGY ON SGBV AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES
The Sierra Leone Female Parliamentary Caucus uses 8 mechanisms and 6 processes and procedures to mitigate SGBV, Child Rights, Women’s Rights abuse and the physically challenged, the mechanisms and, processes and procedures are outlined with links to issues address by the Caucus:
- They undertake legislative advocacy, public awareness, and strategic partnerships.
- Legislative reform, Oversight, and Advocacy, they have strengthen the legal frameworks by closing loopholes, enforcing tougher penalties for perpetrators and advocating for improved protection for survivors, the reforms has deters SGBV and upholds justice
- They undertake rigorous Oversight activities on MDA’s related to SGBV matters, especially those overseeing Justice, Health and Gender Affairs. They uses parliamentary tools such as Questions and Motions, they ensure national policies are implemented effectively
- the Caucus contributes to raising public awareness and fostering a supportive environment for addressing GBV. They engage in national dialogues, utilizing various platforms such as radio, social media, and community meetings
- They undertake outreach spearheading Campaigns to challenge harmful norms, raises awareness of rights and encourage reporting of abuse
- The undertake Support for Survivors programs by pushing for broader access to legal aid, shelter, healthcare, and psychological services
- They monitor and champions survivors centered approach
- They support INGO’s & NGO’s by providing evidence-based policy and data collection to ensure that the national SGBV are well informed.
- They published position papers and critical policy statement that most times influences the national policy on SGBV
- They support those SGBV affected persons to get Justice in court proceedings, collaborating with Gender Affairs organizations to seek justice and to restore their health and psychological issues.
1. Policy and Law Advocacy Mechanisms
a. Legislative Engagement
The Caucus actively reviews, proposes and champions laws that protect women and children. Key examples:
- Child Rights & Anti-Child Marriage Laws: Female MPs are consulted early in drafting and help shape bills before plenary debate; they also lobby male colleagues to support passage.
Sexual Offences Act Implementation: They organize workshops on implementing existing laws such as the Sexual Offences Act 2012 (and its amendments), including engaging stakeholders on enforcement challenges.
he Caucus has also been involved in advancing gender equality legislation such as the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act and reforms of parliamentary standing orders to make procedures gender-responsive.
These roles make the caucus a key parliamentary mechanism to influence law-making and legal reform on SGBV, child rights, and women’s rights.
2. Oversight and Stakeholder Engagement
a. Workshops, Trainings and Awareness
The Caucus regularly organizes capacity-building and oversight activities:
- Workshops with ministries, civil society and service-providers: e.g., workshops with the Rainbo Initiative and others to discuss parliamentary oversight on SGBV services, sexual offence laws and referral systems, bridging gaps between communities, service providers, and lawmakers.
Training on parliamentary procedure and gender law: Helping MPs understand standing orders and the GEWE Act strengthens their ability to hold the executive and ministries accountable for implementation.
3. Advocacy, Awareness and Public Mobilization
The Caucus also carries out advocacy campaigns and uses symbolic actions to raise awareness about SGBV and rights issues:
- Participation in “Orange Day” and other activism events to signal parliamentary support against gender-based violence and mobilize national attention.
Media and public engagements to sensitize communities on the dangers of SGBV, the importance of child protection, and normative change.
4. Collaborative Processes & Partnerships
a. Government & Civil Society Collaboration
The Caucus frequently collaborates with:
- Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs: for joint drafting, consultation and harmonization of child rights and anti-SGBV legislation.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs): such as Rainbo Initiative and disability groups — these partnerships facilitate evidence-based advocacy, community outreach, and legislative oversight.
International partners and donors: training support (for example with International IDEA and EU funding) helps strengthen parliament’s capacity to be gender-responsive.https://www.premiermedia-sl.com/female-parliamentary-caucus-trains-on-standing-orders-and-gewe-act/?utm
6. Representation and Mentorship
The Caucus also works to enlarge the voice of women and vulnerable groups in political life:
- Through mentorship and leadership trainings for women and girls, they help strengthen long-term representation and advocacy capacity.
By encouraging women to build skills and participate fully in governance structures, they challenge gender stereotypes and promote norms that support women’s and children’s rights.
7. Addressing Rights of Physically Challenged Persons
While specific parliamentary reports on disability are limited, the overall approach includes:
- Mainstreaming inclusion in legislative advocacy: the Caucus promotes laws and policies that ensure non-discrimination and equal rights for people with disabilities as part of broader women’s and children’s rights frameworks.
https://data.ipu.org/parliament/SL/specialized-bodies/SL-LC-SB05/?utm
Collaboration with disability stakeholders through CSOs and parliamentary committees to feed into policy deliberations (e.g., GEWE Act and parliamentary engagement on inclusive laws).
Participation in national dialogues (e.g., UN-led dialogues on disability-inclusive SGBV response) indicates widening awareness and coordinationhttps://x.com/UNSierraLeone/status/1998343567404634181?utm
8. Processes and Procedures the Caucus Uses
Internal Procedures
- Regular caucus meetings: To align positions on bills, develop joint motions and decide strategic advocacy priorities.
https://data.ipu.org/parliament/SL/specialized-bodies/SL-LC-SB05/?utm
Cross-party collaboration: Members from different political parties coordinate to present unified positions on rights issues.https://data.ipu.org/parliament/SL/specialized-bodies/SL-LC-SB05/?utm
Parliamentary Processes
- Committee engagement: Female MPs often leverage relevant House committees (e.g., Gender & Children’s Affairs) to scrutinize executive implementation and policy effects.
- Plenary lobbying: They lobby male colleagues before floor debates to ensure majority support for rights-based legislation.
Evidence summaries: Workshops and research sessions help caucus members understand implementation gaps (e.g., Sexual Offences Act execution), enabling informed oversight motions.
9. Challenges and Realities
It is important to note:
- Cultural and normative resistance: On issues such as female genital mutilation (FGM), some caucus members disagree with total elimination, complicating unified legislative action.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202406210625.html?utm
Implementation gaps: Laws exist (e.g., Sexual Offences Act, Domestic Violence laws) but enforcement and access to justice remain challenges that require sustained oversight.
This means the Caucus must work continuously to translate laws into real change on the ground through concrete executive follow-up and community engagement.
Core Mechanism summary:
| Mechanism | Purpose |
| Legislative drafting & sponsorship | Shape gender-responsive laws on SGBV, children, and inclusion |
| Workshops & training | Build capacity to use Parliamentary procedure and oversight |
| Public advocacy | Raise awareness and mobilize national support |
| Partnerships | Link Parliament with executive, CSOs, and international actors |
| Committee oversight | Track implementation of laws and government programmes |
| Mentorship & empowerment programmes | Strengthen future women leaders |