By Mariama Bundu
AdvocAid, in collaboration with Amplify Change, organized a workshop on September 27, 2024, at the Scout Headquarters at New England Ville, Freetown. The event aimed to raise awareness about the sexual and reproductive health rights of commercial sex workers and incarcerated women in Sierra Leone.
Jalahan Amara Jakema, Program Manager of AdvocAid, emphasized that the workshop was designed to educate participants about their sexual health and legal rights. The primary goal was to empower them with knowledge of their rights and entitlements, enabling them to better support themselves and others.
Zainab Abu Kamara, a representative of female sex workers (FSWs), discussed the challenges they face, including being unfairly accused of crimes such as smoking kush, and the stigma they endure from society due to their profession.
Ashram V. Turay, Director of Gender Equal Opportunities and head of Nutrition for the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, noted that AdvocAid also supports female inmates at the Pademba Road Female Correctional Center by providing skills training to help them reintegrate into society after their release. She assured that pregnant inmates are not discriminated against and are well cared for, stating, “Babies born in prison are looked after, and later placed in foster homes by the Ministry of Social Welfare.”
