WUNRN
Women's Commission for Refugee Women
& Children
The Future of Sierra
Leone
A Women's Commission
delegation recently visited
http://www.womenscommission.org/special/sierraleone.php
Sierra Leone
is still recovering from a brutal eleven-year civil war that ended in 2002—a
war that left 50,000 people dead and displaced 2 million, nearly half of its
population. Most of the combatants were children and young people, who were
forced to commit serious human rights violations, including terrorizing
civilians and amputating limbs. Rape was endemic.
Sierra Leone
is ranked lowest in the world on the UN Human Development Index. One in eight
women dies during pregnancy or childbirth, compared to one in 8,000 in the
developed world. And one in four children dies before reaching his or her fifth
birthday.
As Sierra
Leone moves out of a post-conflict period, there will likely be a drop in
financing. Forty percent of its budget is currently dependent on foreign
donors. Yet Sierra Leone needs resources more than ever to address many of the
root causes that gave rise to the war—including the marginalization of and lack
of opportunity for youth.
Learn
more about the situation in Sierra Leone:
The Women’s
Commission traveled to Sierra Leone in February 2008 as part of its three-year
global research and advocacy project for displaced out-of-school
youth. Without access to school and with few economic opportunities or
skills, young people are often left idle and are more vulnerable to sexual
abuse, economic exploitation and recruitment into armed groups. Less than
one-third of females over age 10 can read and write. Seventy percent of youth
are unemployed or underemployed.
Sixty-two
percent of girls marry before age 18. Pregnant girls and young mothers
generally drop out of school to care for children. Poverty also forces young
people to work to support their families rather than attend school. Although
primary school is “free,” many families cannot afford related costs for
uniforms, transportation and books.
We found that
the most successful youth programs were those that combine education and
vocational skills training so young people can earn money while going to
school, or learn literacy skills while being apprenticed in a trade. At the
moment, most young people survive through petty trade and services, such as
selling in markets. Most are not making enough to earn a living or are being
trained for gender-stereotyped jobs. There is a disproportionate focus on labor
supply, while the demand for these services isn’t enough to absorb these young
people.
Another
challenge that we came across was that teachers often are paid too little and
too late. Teachers are generally paid $30 to $90 a month or volunteer their
services. Many of the best teachers prefer to work for nongovernmental
organizations that offer higher salaries. Forty percent of teachers are
unqualified or uncertified. One exemplary program we found, the Ibis/CREPS
Accelerated Learning Program, condenses 6 years of primary school into 3 years
for girls who missed it during the war. It is also trains teachers while
putting them to work in classrooms, creating a new generation of teachers.
Learn more about what the Women’s Commission is doing with INEE to address
challenges around teacher compensation during and after crises.
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Thank you.