AdvocAid Launches Kenema Office as Part of Justice Matters Programme in Sierra Leone
Friday 29 May: Today, AdvocAid held the official opening for their new regional Kenema Office from which they’ll provide targeted legal support to girls and women in conflict with the law. The opening of this new office has been made possible thanks to a partnership with the British Council in Sierra Leone, to deliver the EU funded programme: Justice Matters: Strengthening the Rights of Women and Girls.
AdvocAid, founded in 2006, are a legal aid organisation providing free legal assistance, representation and education to girls and women in Sierra Leone. Whilst they have had a presence in Kenema since 2010, they have done so via partnerships with local organisations, to share resources, such as renting office space at Timap for Justice, one of our strong partnership organisations.
With the support of the Justice Matters grant, the Kenema Office will become an up-country regional hub for AdvocAid from which to strengthen their programmes, build visibility and prioritise support for women in conflict with the law in the region.
The office will be run by Ms Jalahan Jakema Amara, Kenema Programme Officer. At the opening, she stated: “It is a pleasure and privilege to lead AdvocAid’s expansion within the East of Sierra Leone. With this vital investment, we will have far more visibility within the region, ensuring more girls and women know about our free legal support, and will have greater access to our educational campaigns and outreach work.”
The opening was attended by AdvocAid staff and former detainees, civil society partners, government representatives, members of the legal community and British Council staff including Simon Ingram-Hill, the British Council Director in Sierra Leone. Mr Ingram-Hill stated at the event: “The British Council is committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of girls, women and their children in Sierra Leone. Through our partnership with AdvocAid, we can ensure vulnerable girls and women are not only provided with free access to legal aid, but that they are educated about their legal rights, and empowered to assert these rights. The opening of this new regional office is a positive step in reaching more women in conflict with the law.”
This new Regional Office is just one element of the Justice Matters programme. Together, the British Council and AdvocAid aim to: provide increased legal information, advice and representation to women and girls in Sierra Leone; train and support four additional paralegals to provide front-line information and advice to women and girls in conflict with the law; provide support and rehabilitation to women and girls in detention; broadcast legal education and awareness programmes via radio and TV; and train female prison officers on the new UN Rules for the Treatment of Female Prisoners, amongst other activities.
There are currently just seven resident lawyers in the provinces for a population of 4.3 million people (80% of the population) making additional legal services absolutely critical. Free legal advice and representation is an effective way of addressing barriers that populations experiencing marginalization and poverty often face in trying to access the justice system.
Currently, women in Sierra Leone who come into conflict with the law have seriously restricted access to legal advice and representation. They thus often find themselves caught up in a system they do not understand, with a limited ability to navigate legal processes and claim the rights to which they are entitled.
The new office is located at 2 Sannoh Street in Kenema, and will be open Monday to Friday, 9 am – 5.30 pm. Any women in need of legal advice, assistance or representation should contact the office on: +232 (0)99 137 935 / +232 (0)76 155 411.
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