Notes From the Field - Sierra Leone
Summer 2007, Stephanie Morin, a rising 2L from New York University, spent the summer in Sierra Leone researching opportunities for domestic use of new international law. We sat down with Stephanie to discuss her experience.
Q: What is the situation in Sierra Leone?
A: In 2002 Sierra Leone emerged from a devastating ten-year civil war during which it is estimated that 250,000 women and girls were victims of sexual violence. The fighting also resulted in the widespread destruction of infrastructure and institutions, spiraling poverty, and the breakdown of Sierra Leone's already dysfunctional political system. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Special Court of Sierra Leone were established to address and account for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during this time. At present, these activities are beginning to wind down.
Q: What are the obstacles to gender equality in Sierra Leone?
A: In addition to widespread poverty and a vast urban/rural divide, there is also deep seeded corruption and patrimony in the country that makes it very difficult to pass and enforce equality laws. These obstacles extend into all levels and branches of government, including the judiciary and the public sector.
However, just this June, thanks to a coordinated effort by Sierra Leonean civil society, a significant accomplishment was made through the passage of the Gender Acts. The Gender Acts address domestic violence, property rights and customary marriage rights and are a significant step towards domesticating CEDAW. The difficulty now is educating women on the rights that these laws provide and making sure that they are consistently enforced.
Q: Why did you decide to spend the summer in Sierra Leone?
A: Sierra Leone interests me as an experiment in transitional justice. It is the first time in history where two mechanisms of international justice, courts and restorative justice bodies, have been used simultaneously. I wanted to figure out if these two bodies were working well together; how and if they managed to represent all people and accomplish the goals of justice and reconciliation for which they were designed.
Q: How did you carry out this research?
A: I conducted consultations with government officials, civil society organizations, UN agency and Special Court staff, and members of both the formal and informal justice sectors in Sierra Leone. I looked at how international legal guarantees of gender equality can be used strategically by Sierra Leonean women to ensure their right to equal participation at all levels of governance.
Q: So, what are the opportunities for implementing international law?
The Global Justice Center can partner with civil society leaders to energize efforts to use international law to further gender equality. There is a need for training of Sierra Leonean legal and government officials on Sierra Leone's international legal obligations and women's rights more broadly.
The GJC's expertise also positions us to provide information and counsel to lawyers and civil society leaders. For example, right now there is no curriculum on international law at any of the law schools in Sierra Leone. By working with local law schools to develop this curriculum, the GJC can make sure that laws on gender equality are included, creating a future class of lawyers with the knowledge of international law and how to use it.