By: Fatmata Grace Okekearu, Bo City
With support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Voices of the Voiceless Women Sierra Leone (VVWSL) has conducted a one-day capacity-building workshop for soweis on the 2024 Child Rights Act. The training was held at the Bo Innovation Hub on Sewa Road in Bo.
The engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to promote a zero-tolerance approach to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through community empowerment and a rights-based framework.
Explaining the purpose of the training, George Makieu Ceesay, Project Officer at VVWSL, said the initiative was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of key provisions in the Child Rights Act of 2024 and strengthen their ability to apply child-protection principles within their communities. He noted that the training equips soweis with essential knowledge on state and institutional responsibilities in safeguarding children.
Ceesay added that the workshop also aims to build participants’ capacity to identify and report child-rights violations, as well as raise awareness of existing gaps in child protection particularly the lack of explicit criminalization of FGM in current legislation. According to him, the project seeks to empower beneficiaries to engage their communities constructively, advocate for child protection, and address cultural challenges responsibly.
In her statement, VVWSL Executive Director, Madam Regina Combay Kajue, emphasized that the Canada-funded project aims to reduce the harmful effects of FGM, especially on girls. She explained that soweis were specifically targeted to ensure they gain a clear understanding of the Child Rights Act and its position on practices that endanger children’s health and well-being.
Madam Kajue encouraged soweis and local councillors to take the knowledge gained seriously and to support the protection, promotion, and enforcement of child rights in Sierra Leone in line with international standards.