Sierra Leone is hosting the 10th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR) at the Bintumani International Conference Centre on the theme, "Accelerating the Elimination of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Africa."
Global, and the continent's partners, including civil society, governments, UN Agencies, human rights activists, and development partners, are expected to use the five-day conference to consider the value of potential plans aimed at eliminating all forms of violence and barriers against women and girls in Africa.
The stakes are high, and the expectations of African women and young people are based on carefully considered facts, which would be presented by over 350 participants from 41 African countries.
Despite the ongoing conference, if tangible actions are not taken by politicians, girls, and young women will continue to suffer from issues of inheritance, trafficking, forced labor, and rape, among others. The road map to ending all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, FGM, and child marriage in the continent can be achieved when stakeholders in the conference weigh options to end SGBV in Africa before leaving Freetown.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Representative to Sierra Leone, Nadia Rasheed, pledged their continual commitment to working with stakeholders, civil society, youth-led organizations, and government towards accelerating progress to end GBV, thereby creating space for young people’s voices to be heard on all issues affecting them.
The UNFPA Rep. described the conference as "an incredible opportunity to connect with other young people and distinguished experts and decision-makers from across the continent." It’s an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills, be exposed to different perspectives, and fuel your advocacy on the issues you are most passionate about. "
The UNFPA Country Rep. revealed, "Africa is home to 130 million girls and women who were married in childhood, 140 million girls and women who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and 40 million girls who have experienced both of these harmful practices."
According to her, despite efforts and commitments to end gender-based violence, it remains a perseveres, hindering young people from reaching their full potential.
The co-founder of Purposeful Sierra Leone, who doubles as the conference host, Chernor Bah, said as a feminist organization, they believe in young people. He said they are particularly excited that almost half of the delegates are young people, who, according to him, are expected to lead the charge on ending all forms of violence against women and young girls in the continent.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Youth Affairs, Mohamed Orman Bangura, urged that now is the time to invest in young people, pointing out that the promotion of dialogue and understanding across cultures and generations among young people tends to advance human rights for all.
The youth minister said, "To ensure that development policies work for everyone, we must use human rights as our foundation." We must promote and protect the human rights of all young people, especially the most vulnerable ones. "
According to the United Nations office in Sierra Leone, the 10th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR) is a biennial conference convened by the African Federation for Sexual Health and Rights and hosted by Purposeful Sierra Leone, an Africa-rooted global hub for girls’ organizing and activism, in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone.
Women representatives at the conference. Photo credit. John Baimba Sesay | Web and Media Analyst | UNFPA Sierra Leone | jsesay@unfpa.org
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