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The Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, has completed stakeholder mapping and familiarisation visits across three chiefdoms in Moyamba District as part of efforts to strengthen responses to gender-based violence (GBV).
The three-day engagement, conducted in Ribbi, Kagboro, and Kori Chiefdoms, brought together 53 stakeholders, including Paramount Chiefs, traditional authorities, justice sector actors, local councils, civil society representatives, community leaders, and organisations representing persons with disabilities.
The stakeholders shared experiences, identified key challenges, and explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration in addressing GBV and promoting safer communities for women and girls.
According to ILRAJ, the chiefdom-level engagement is aimed at achieving four key outcomes, including identifying legal and institutional gaps to support evidence-based advocacy, mapping harmful gender norms and practices that contribute to GBV, improving community dispute resolution mechanisms, and strengthening partnerships with local stakeholders for sustainable interventions.
The findings from the engagements will inform ILRAJ’s upcoming legal and regulatory assessment, public inquiries, and advocacy initiatives, ensuring that community perspectives are incorporated into efforts to develop stronger protective frameworks.
ILRAJ emphasised that sustainable reforms must begin at the community level, noting the importance of transforming local experiences and recommendations into meaningful legal and institutional action.
The initiative is being implemented under the Spotlight Initiative, a global partnership between the European Union and the United Nations that supports Sierra Leone’s efforts to address GBV, promote gender equality, and advance community-driven reforms.
