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Plan International is calling on the government of Sierra Leone to do more to protect teenage girls from sexual violence, after a 17 year-old girl was gang-raped and murdered in the capital, Freetown, on 13 August.
The body of Hannah Bockarie was discovered on a beach with sand stuffed in her mouth.
The incident has left the nation shocked, drawing widespread condemnation of violence against girls in the country.
“We are calling on the government to do more to protect teenage girls from sexual violence,” said Mariama Munia Zombo, Head of Advocacy for Plan International Sierra Leone.
“We need to educate girls about how to protect themselves from violence and if necessary, respond to it. Girls in Sierra Leone are incredibly vulnerable, and they need support from their communities, schools, and from authorities.”
According to media reports, Bockarie’s murder has sparked fears of a spike in gender-based violence in the country, as police forces struggle to regain control after the Ebola crisis.
Women’s rights activists have said the case is particularly alarming because it harks back to the days when sexual violence was used as a weapon in Sierra Leone.
They are urging the government and police to take urgent action against the girl’s murderers, and other perpetrators of sexual violence against girls and young women, to ensure that they are held accountable.
“As a leading children’s rights charity with particular emphasis on protecting girls from all forms of violence and abuse, we are deeply concerned about the brutality inflicted against this young adolescent girl,” said Zombo.
“We wish to join the numerous voices of advocates in Sierra Leone against gender-based violence to condemn this act of sexual violence against girls and young women
“Persistent discrimination and violence against women and girls is a global phenomenon yet violates human rights and is one of the structural drivers of poverty.”
Via its long-standing Girl Power Project, Plan International is enabling girls of all ages to access safe spaces where they can find information on protecting themselves, and report acts of violence against themselves or others in their communities.
The organisation is also working with communities in Sierra Leone, including men and boys, to tackle gender stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes.
Zombo added: “We are promoting education for girls who are in and out of school through projects like the Girls Education Challenge, and other post-Ebola initiatives, which keep them in school or engaged in some educational activity, and out of the streets.
“Currently, through our education, healthcare and protection projects, we are creating the right enabling environment to keep girls safe and in school, whilst also enforcing gender-sensitive, anti-violence messages to tackle underlying discriminatory attitudes against women and girls.”
