Sierra Leone: Let Girls Learn

  • A Advocacy Campaign/Project

? Activity Status: Unknown

Key Information

In Sierra Leone ‘visibly’ pregnant girls are banned from attending school. In many cases these girls are pregnant as a result of rape and sexual exploitation. This is a violation of their right to education, as well as their right to live free from gender based violence and exploitation. In 2018, Equality Now, along with Women Against Violence Exploitation in Society (WAVES), Child Welfare Society, and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa filed a case in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice against Sierra Leone’s ban on pregnant girls attending school. In December 2019, the court found that the government of Sierra Leone breached the right of pregnant girls to education by prohibiting pregnant school girls from accessing school. Additionally, Equality Now continues to work with our partners in the region to increase awareness of the issue in Sierra Leone and around the world and to amplify the voices of girls who have been affected by the ban.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sierra Leone

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2018 -

Partner(s)

Women Against Violence Exploitation in Society (WAVES); Child Welfare Society; Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Other

  • Other

Cross-cutting areas

  • Adolescent pregnancy/childbearing

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls out of school, Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

All out of school

School Level

Not applicable or unknown

Other populations reached

Not applicable or unknown

Participants include

  • Adolescent mothers (pregnant or parenting)

Program Approaches Back to Top

Life skills education

  • Gender, rights and power

Policy/legal environment

  • Advocating changes to existing laws/policies

Women's empowerment programs

  • Advocacy/action

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Increased grade attainment
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Increased school enrolment (general)
  • Increased years of schooling
  • Reduced grade repetition

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved maternal, newborn, and/or child health (MNCH)
  • Improved understanding of sexual harassment, coercion, and consent
  • Increased advocacy/civic engagement
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced adolescent pregnancy/childbearing