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AdvocAid convened a roundtable discussion at the YMCA Hall in Freetown on Thursday, bringing together stakeholders to push for the decriminalization and declassification of petty offenses in Sierra Leone.
The discussions focused on necessary reforms to address issues disproportionately affecting women and girls.
Fatmata L. Bah, a project officer at AdvocAid, underscored the organization’s dedication to supporting women and girls who face legal challenges. She highlighted AdvocAid’s ongoing efforts since 2017 to advance a repeal bill for petty offenses, which is currently under review by cabinet and parliamentary committees.
“We’ve had a pre-legislative engagement with the Human Rights and Legislative Committees of Parliament, during which we presented our proposed bill and cabinet paper on the decriminalization and declassification of petty offences in Sierra Leone. The committees provided feedback on areas for improvement, and we committed to submitting the final draft document once the necessary revisions are made. Please note that the bill is not currently under review in Parliament.” She said.
During the session, Mr. Ayo, a paralegal from Western Rural, detailed specific petty offenses being addressed, including loitering, minor traffic violations, and nonpayment of small debts. He pointed out the discriminatory nature of these offenses, which are often vaguely defined and disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
Bah also noted AdvocAid’s collaborations with grassroots organizations and financial service providers, such as microcredit organizations that offer loans to market women.
The round table concluded with a commitment to initiate multi-stakeholder dialogues aimed at developing practical strategies to reduce the arrest, abuse, and detention of low-income earners for minor offenses.
