Board chairlady of WAHD, Sarah Bangura, said that issues of sexual violence were actually disturbing women and girls both physically and emotionally. She said some men were in the habit of battering, abusing, and forcing their women into sex without their consent.

She said she was encouraging all women to stop encouraging gender based violence by not keeping silence, and called on all women to speak out on issues that disturbed them.

Director of Crime, Detective Superintendent of Police Anthony Kargbo extended his appreciation to ActionAid and its partners for their efforts to protect women and girls. He said the launch of the report was essential because it’s brought together stakeholders, heads, and different people from different sectors that can chat the way forward and take the message to their communities and people.

Adding that parents and guardians are compromising gender base violence and that is affecting their effort to eradicate gender base violence.   

Representative of social welfare, Abdul Turay, said that he was happy to be part of the dialogue, adding that the responsibility of the ministry was to look into the matters of vulnerable women and girls.

Before doing the presentation on the qualitative research on sexual and gender base Zynab Binta Senessie, fundraising manager for emergencies and women’s rights focal person Action Aid, said they had commissioned the research to look into issues that were affecting women and girls.