At 21: Women’s Forum Acclaim President Koroma with Award & Recognition
Freetown, November 2 (SLENA) – Women’s Forum Sierra Leone (WF-SL), the national women’s umbrella organization on Friday 30th October 2015 commenced celebrations to mark its 21st anniversary at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Hall, Brookfields in Freetown.
Forum members from within Sierra Leone and outside expressed great appreciation to His Excellency, President Ernest Bai Koroma for awarding and recognizing the efforts of women.
The Forum is the catalyst from which a number of women’s organizations like the 50-50 Group and MARWOPNET have emerged and has produced the best female Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in the person of Mrs. Amy Smyth.
The Forum also participated in the peace talks with the late rebel leader, Foday Sankoh and marched to his residence demanding peace.
According to the Forum’s President, Mrs. Maude Regina Peacock, girls can demonstrate power through radio talk shows; that the Forum established Safe Spaces for girls in several parts of the country during the Ebola outbreak that prevented them from getting pregnant.
She also informed that a thanksgiving service would be held on 29th November to observe the 21st anniversary during which they would cut the birthday cake and thank God the Almighty for combating the Ebola outbreak when the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to declare the country Ebola-free.
Various speakers underscored the role of women during the Bintumani I and II conferences in Freetown spearheaded by Women’s Forum to achieve democracy at which event the Forum presented a position paper calling for elections before peace that changed the country’s history.
At past Friday’s event, prayers were also offered for a united Sierra Leone and unity among women to continue advocating for the education of young girls and women.
Mrs. Maude Regina Peacock further revealed that during the thanksgiving service, there would be a special feature on the prevention and reduction of teenage pregnancy, violence against women as well as discussion programs on these topics, access to justice due to the increasing delays by the judiciary to rule in rape and violence cases against women and a lunch-on-sale to raise funds for the Forum as it does not receive any subvention from Government or donors but members’ monthly contributions.
The President further appealed to members to submit their sponsored walk cards, revealing that YWCA has increased its rent for the office space occupied by the Forum and that they would appeal to Government, through the President, for yearly subvention to fund some of their activities including payment of rent for regional offices.
She disclosed that for the sponsored walk, members in the west of the city would walk from Lumley Market to YWCA while those from the east end would do the same from Up Gun roundabout to YWCA, intimating that other plans for the 21st anniversary are still ongoing.
Mrs. Maude Regina Peacock went on to disclose that an emergency meeting would be held at the YWCA hall on 14th November and that on 4th November, the Planning Committee would also meet, reiterating that violence against women is on the increase while access to justice is a major challenge.
Highlights of the event were messages of goodwill from other organizations, reminiscences, social interaction and dancing competition.
The Forum emerged during the military interregnum in 1994 and since then members have attended women’s conferences in Dakar, Senegal and Beijing, China and have participated in various national activities.
Although a lot has been done over the past 21 years, the journey has just begun as all the speakers stressed the need for unity.
A minute’s silence was observed in memory of all deceased members of the Forum.
However, some members, including Mrs. Jebbeh Forster, Mrs. Rosaline McCarthy, Veronica Rogers, Mrs. Mariama Diarra-Sesay and Mrs. Fatu Kargbo were singled-out for their outstanding contributions to the Forum.
The drafting of the Constitution, securing of an office space at Pademba Road with paid staff, micro-credit from UNIFEM as a revolving fund to support women after the war were some of the early achievements of the Forum.
Members also underscored the need for Muslim and Christian members to come together and support the Forum as well as advocate for women’s empowerment and emancipation.
Members were also encouraged to pay their monthly contributions.
It was further underscored that the Forum is not an elitist organization as perceived by some people but one that caters for all classes of women, including illiterates.
Credit SLENA
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