January 31, 2025
26 NGOs reveal extent of Israeli authorities’ action against humanitarian response a year since ICJ ruling
The latest Human Development Index (HDI) published reflects a very low rate in Sierra Leone, 0.458, ranking 184th . The 2022 female HDI value for Sierra Leone is 0.432, compared to 0.488 for men, resulting in a Gender Inequality Index value of 0.885. As for the Gender Inequality Index, Sierra Leone has a GII of 0.613, which ranks it 157 out of 166 countries in 2022.
Sierra Leone’s post-pandemic recovery has been hampered by internal and external shocks, which exacerbated existing macro-fiscal vulnerabilities. Inflation and exchange rate depreciation reached record levels, depressing economic activity and triggering a severe cost-of-living crisis in 2022, the deterioration of which has continued in 2023, albeit less dramatically.
Sierra Leone’s economic development has been constrained by recurrent global and domestic shocks. Macroeconomic management remains weak. Fiscal pressures have progressively intensified, the debt burden has worsened, and inflation has soared, driven by global supply shocks, exchange rate depreciation and deteriorating terms of trade, as well as domestic imbalances. Rising costs of living, combined with weak growth and deteriorating economic fundamentals, threaten to increase poverty levels in a context of inadequate social safety nets.
Despite major strides in reducing maternal and infant mortality in the country, it still has the highest under-five mortality rate, at 104.7 per 1,000 live births, and 2,700 children under the age of five. 70% of mortality occurs in the age group 1-59 months from preventable or treatable causes such as malaria, pneumonia, measles, tetanus, in a context of multiple risk factors such as malnutrition, lack of access to quality services including immunization, and lack of access to health care.
Unfortunately, the disparities between men and women does not end there. In February 2019, the President of Sierra Leone declared the prevalence of sexual violence a national emergency. An estimated 61% of women aged 15-49 have experienced gender-based violence, but only 40% have reported ever seeking help. Furthermore, in 2019, it was estimated that 83% of women aged 15 to 49 had undergone Female Genital Mutilation. This practice is incredibly damaging and harmful to girls and women. This practice is done mainly between the ages of 10 and 14.
However, there has been notable progress to report this year. Sierra Leone announced that it passed a new law banning the practice of child marriage. This is phenomenal news, considering that it is still prevalent in the country. In 2021, UNICEF reported that Sierra Leone is home to 800,000 married girls. Of these girls, 400,000 were married before the age of 15. We hope to see that with this new law passed, more girls will be able to pursue an education and career that they dream of.
In 2023, thanks to donor funding, several projects were implemented that focused on improving the health of the population, especially sexual and reproductive health as well as nutrition. Programs were also tailored to fight against gender-based violence and, in addition, supported the promotion of environmental protection in health facilities (WASH, waste management, among others).
The main partners in these interventions were the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, the Ministry of Gender and Child Affairs, the Ministry of Education, local associations such as Mand Salone and Koinadugu District Women’s Network and key structures and individuals in the target communities.
The indirect target population of the intervention was the Koinadugu and Falaba districts, in the Northern province of the country, which amounts to 409,372 people: 204,874 women and 204,498 men. Our work had an impact on improving the health of women of reproductive age, adolescents under 5 years of age, and the especially vulnerable population. The target population is estimated at 144,996, of which 95,003 are women aged 15-44 years, 24,883 girls under 5 years of age, and 25,110 boys under 5 years of age.
Some of the most important achievements were: