RAINBO INITIATIVE HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS’ DIALOGOU ON OFFENDERS DATABASE (JAN 2024 – AUG 2025).

A high-level stakeholders’ dialogue on the Sexual Offenders Database, aimed at addressing SGBV issues affecting women and girls.

The event which was held at the New Brookfields Hotel, Jomo Kenyatta Road brought together key officials from Rainbo, including Bob Lamin, Communications and Advocacy Manager; Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally; Mrs. Florence Nana Yaa-Manu Obaapa Taylor-Younge Esq. from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice; Charles Vandi, Acting Chief Director of MoGCA; and Mark Bayor, Research and M&E Manager, alongside representatives from the FSU, SLP, and civil society organizations to share insights toward addressing SGBV concerns.

Welcoming the guests, Mr Bob Lamin highlighted the significance of the event, explaining its purpose, objectives, and expected outcomes.

He encouraged participants to contribute meaningfully and provide recommendations toward the preparation of the system.

“Law Enforcement, Child Protection Partners, Women’s Empowerment Organizations, your contributions are vital in this discussion session,” he called.

Mrs. Florence Nana Yaa-Manu Obaapa Taylor-Younge Esq. gave a brief presentation on the Sexual Offences Act 2012 and its 2019 amendment, highlighting its implications and potential impact.

She stressed that the Act strengthens the system by addressing institutional gaps, criminalizing perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, and holding accountable teachers and others involved in sexual violence who have often acted with impunity.

Mark Bayor presented a schematic diagram of Rainbo’s collective database on sexual offences and survivors of SGBV. He shared statistics of reported cases, stating that a total of 2,607 cases were recorded: 164 involving physical assault, 27 involving male and female survivors, and 2,744 cases of sexual assault.

He further provided district-level data: Western Area Urban – 866 cases (32.2%), Western Rural – 263 cases (10.1%), Kenema – 381 (14.6%), Kono – 289 (11.1%), Makeni – 318 (12.2%), Bo – 378 (14.5%), and Kambia – 112 (4.3%), totaling 2,607. Additional statistics included monthly reports, age distribution, cases by academic status (with Junior Secondary School cases accounting for 1,007), time of assault, categories of perpetrators, and other indicators such as home visits, male survivors, deaths, referrals, pregnancies from assault, STIs, and treatments.

Michaella Bull, President of the Survivors’ Solidarity Group, underscored the importance of strong policies and strategies to address SGBV nationwide. She called for community-based programs and awareness-raising educational campaigns as tools to combat SGBV. She also noted that SGBV undermines cultural sensitivity among women and girls.

Bull concluded by recommending school engagement, communication channels to raise awareness on SGBV, education on gender sensitivity, and stronger legal frameworks to address these concerns.

Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally discussed emerging SGBV threats and emphasized the role of the Parliamentary Gender Committee in overseeing regulations and supervising the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs. She referenced the Child Marriage Act and adoption issues, highlighting how they can be misused for child trafficking, child labor, and cruelty. She also stressed the importance of amending the Sexual Offences Act with contributions from Rainbo Initiative to strengthen SGBV response. “How effective are these centers?” she asked, stressing the need to resource them adequately to tackle emerging SGBV challenges. She highlighted difficulties such as inadequate funding, poor road networks, and logistical challenges.

Charles Vandi, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to addressing women’s concerns, particularly SGBV. He touched on the Sexual Offences Act and its amendments, noting Parliament’s request for further consultations before its adoption. He spoke about MoGCA’s collaboration with Rainbo Initiative, the drafting of an MoU to strengthen One-Stop Centers, and engagement with the healthcare sector to provide drugs and treatment for survivors. Vandi concluded by outlining challenges such as limited financial resources, institutional capacity gaps, poor road networks, and weak coordination at field levels.

At the climax of the meeting, a subcommittee was formed to guide the publication of the Sexual Offenders Database. Members included the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, SLP/FSU, Rainbo Initiative, Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, Legal Aid Board, CSOs, Parliament (Gender Committee), the Media, Inter-Religious Council, and UN Agencies.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on next steps and further consultations for the preparation of the Sexual Offenders Database (SOD).

Communications Unit

MoGCA

mkelson367@gmail.com