For many of us, a year can flash by in an instant. But that is not the case for those in prison. Building on the success of last year’s celebration of International Women’s Day, AdvocAid is once again using the day to highlight the plight of girls and women in Sierra Leone who live behind bars or who are at risk of coming into conflict with the law.

International Women’s Day, held on 8 March each year, is a day for all women, including those who live on the margins of society. Last year, for the first time in Sierra Leone, AdvocAid used the day to include women in prison. This year, AdvocAid will once again ensure that these women are included. But this time the organization will extend its efforts to include women in prison in the provinces as well as one group of vulnerable women who are at risk of finding themselves in prison – sex workers.

Like many of their sisters all over the world, Sierra Leonean women who get caught up in the legal system face significant barriers to accessing justice. Many are poor and illiterate thus understanding little of the system in which they find themselves and unable to afford legal representation. Other women, such as sex workers, experience stigmatization at being in prison and a consequent lack of support from their families and communities. The fate of guilty and innocent alike is often a matter of chance, dependent on whether they are lucky to be called before a magistrate who takes an interest in their case or held by a caring prison officer who ensures that the woman is not lost in the system. Once in jail, the particular needs of women spanning health and personal hygiene issues to childcare matters are often acute and insufficiently addressed. In a country such as Sierra Leone where there are many worthy demands for limited resources, the plight of these women is easy to forget. Days such as International Women’s Day are, therefore, crucial in reminding us of the importance of protecting and empowering all women to access justice and enjoy equality of opportunity.

Despite the difficulties which women in prison continue to face, “small, small” steps have been taken during the past year both at the international and national level to help improve the conditions in which they live. On 15 October 2010, the UN general Assembly approved the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders known as the “Bangkok Rules”. These rules are the first to set out specific UN standards for the treatment of women offenders, drawing attention to women’s particular needs. Sierra Leone took steps to improving the well-being of female prisoners in Freetown when the Special Court’s detention facility was turned over to the Prison Authorities, which they have decided to use for a new female detention facility now housing the majority of female prisoners. As many women in detention are pregnant or breast-feeding, accompanied by their young infants, this move out of the cramped conditions of the main prison to a new facility is welcomed. The Sierra Leonean Prison Service, including the considerable body of dedicated and professional female prison officers, are also to be applauded for their continuing efforts to improve conditions for female prisoners.

However, much remains to be done for women in detention in Sierra Leone, including: the reform of policy, legislation and practices in Sierra Leone that do not conform to universal human rights standards and improved assistance to the many female prisoners who are held in facilities up-country in Sierra Leone. In particular, it is hoped that the government will begin the process of working with stakeholders to disseminate information about the Bangkok Rules and reforming related policies and practices to increase protection for women in conflict with the law.

Throughout the month of March, AdvocAid will undertake various activities and trainings focusing on protecting women in conflict with the law across Sierra Leone. The hope is to bring greater awareness of and support to these women who are afforded such limited protection or attention. Some of the activities AdvocAid will be undertaking include welfare donations such as soap and other hygiene items to women in prison across Sierra Leone. Legal education classes will also be held in several prisons to ensure that women are aware of their basic rights and start to gain an understanding of the legal process in which they are involved. AdvocAid will also be participating in a legal and sexual health awareness training day for sex workers in collaboration with Christian Aid, Promotion of Reproductive, Sexual Health and HIV Education (PORSHE) and Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, Sierra Leone chapter (SWAASL).

With each year, progress continues to be made in improving the lives of girls and women throughout the world. AdvocAid is proud to play a role in the progress that Sierra Leone continues to make in ensuring that all women, including those in detention, are able to access their rights and participate as active members of their communities. Small, small steps after all are still steps in the right direction …

Ex Prisoners at AdvocAid's Drop In Centre helping prepare welfare packs for their sisters still in detention