By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)
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KAMAYAMA
DONATION: L.A.W.Y.E.R.S made donation of relief items to displaced women and
girls of the Kamayama Lumley community following the infamous August 14th
mudslide
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Legal
Access through Women Yearning for Equality Rights and Social Justice
(L.A.W.Y.E.R.S) mark its 21st anniversary this Valentine’s Day, the 14th of
February 2018. It remains Sierra Leone’s foremost organization of female
lawyers battling on to protect and promote the rights of the most vulnerable
women and girls in Sierra Leone.
Courage
No
other organization can boast of its achievements and if there is one word which
sums up why L.A.W.Y.E.R.S has survived this long, it iscourage. Courage to do the right thing even in the most difficult
times.
Women
of Courage & the Civil War
On
the 14th of February 1997, it was courage that inspired a group of female
lawyers including the late Hon. Justice Claudia Taylor, the late Hon. Justice
Valerie Nicol and the late Patricia Kabba, to come together with other brave
soldiers such as Isha Dyfan, Maureen Green, Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff, Mariama Seray Kallay,
Hannah Ahmed, Vivian Solomon, Musu Kamara and Jamesina King to form an
organization that would use the law to secure the rights of the most vulnerable
women and girls in our country.
This
was in an environment of political and economic instability and just a few
months before the outbreak of the full scale civil war, which left women and
girls even more vulnerable to rape and domestic violence.
Undeterred,
the women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S continued to meet and plan for the future.
Projects
Once
the civil war ended, it embarked on several projects including regular visits
to Pademba Road Prison, checking on the welfare of female inmates, establishing
a legal advice clinic and providing legal services not only in Freetown, but
also in Kenema and Kono.
Legislation
L.A.W.Y.E.R.S’
fight for gender equality was crystallized in the passage of the three Gender
Acts. These are The Domestic Violence Act, 2007 (Act no. 20 of 2007), The
Registration of Customary Marriage and Divorce Act, 2009 (Act no. 1 of 2009)
and The Devolution of Estates Act, 2007 (Act no. 21 of 2007).
These
were followed by the passage of the Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (Act no. 60 of
2012).
The
women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S were instrumental in ensuring that these four key pieces
of legislation came into existence.
Constitutional
Review Process
The
women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S actively participated in Sierra Leone’s recently concluded
Constitutional Review Process and called for the statutory creation of a
forensic lab that would be known as “Forensic Analysis Crime Detection Agency
(FACDA)”, which would help the Police carry out proper investigations of sexual
related offences.
Ebola
Crisis
When
Sierra Leone experienced the Ebola crisis between 2014 and 2015, the women of
L.A.W.Y.E.R.S engaged in public broadcasts on radio, television, print and
social media on how the disease was caught and how its spread could be prevented.
Mudslide
In
August 2017 when the hills of Regent were hit by a devastating mudslide which
left many dead and displaced, the women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S gathered resources and
provided relief packs to the women and girls of the Kamayama community, Lumley.
Some of these women were lactating mothers, many with very young children, left
destitute and in many cases homeless by the disaster.
March
7th 2018 General Elections
This
year as Sierra Leone goes to her fourth general elections since the end of the
civil war, the women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S are speaking out on issues of domestic
and sexual violence with specific reference to Subsection 127 (a) of The Public
Elections Act, 2012, (Act No 4 of 2012).
The
women of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S are also speaking out against threats and intimidation
and the adult female’s constitutional right to exercise her vote according to
her political beliefs.
Legal
Advice & Assistance & Community Work
Lois
Anita Kawa, current President of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S, said they would continue to
provide free legal advice and assistance to the most vulnerable women and girls
of society.
“We
will persist with creating awareness on the Gender Acts through media
broadcasts and community work and will provide aid relief to deprived
communities, especially in times of crisis,” said Lois, adding that the women
of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S will continue to exhibit exemplary courage as Sierra Leone
evolves and continues her journey towards a society where human rights are
guaranteed for everyone.
Social
evening
On
Saturday, 10th February 2018, the organization hosted a social
evening in celebration of its 21 years milestone at the Balmaya Arts, Congo
Cross, Freetown. The occasion brought together founding, past and present
members of the organization, sponsors and individuals who have been supportive
of the L.A.W.Y.E.R.S’ cause.
“We
have come a long way and it has not been an easy ride,” said Lois. “And we did
not walk alone as an organization; so it’s fitting for us to recognize all
those who have helped in diverse ways for us to reach this milestone in our
long journey.”
Various
recognition awards were presented to founding members Hon Justice Musu Kamara
and Yasmin Jusu-Sheriff, with post-humous recognitions to the late Hon Justice
Valerie Nicol and Hon Justice Claudia Taylor. Another post-humous award went to
the late former First Lady of the Republic, Patricia Kabbah, while the current
First Lady Mrs Sia Nyama Koroma was awarded as an honorary member. Other
recipients of awards included sponsors UN Women, OSIWA, UNFPA and patrons Mrs Asmaa
Kamara James of Radio Democracy 98.1 FM and popular TV journalist Princetta Wiiliams,
among others.
