Both programs targeted participants residing in Freetown. The aim of the engagement was to observe the 16 days Activism Against Gender violence.
The engagement took place at the SWAASL and Council of Churches in Sierra Leone over the weekend in Freetown.
Speaking during the engagement on Sexual Gender Base Violence (SGBV) one of the executive members of Soroptimist and president of SWAASL Madam Monica Greene said the prevalence rate of SGBV was on the increase across the country.
The Western Area has topped the list of Gender Based Violence (GBV) reports with 1,491 rape cases reported in 2017.
According to the Rainbo Centre, statistics for 2017 show a slight increase from the figures in 2016, which was 1,435.
Over 56% of these rape victims are between 11-15-years with 24% ranging from 16 to 20 years, with 259 cases of children from zero to 10-years. Often rape leads to teenage pregnancy with 128 of the reported rape cases in 2017 resulted in pregnancy for girls between the ages of 11 and 15-years old.
She said the engage was to raise awareness on SWAASL as it was scaring and sickening every day to hear that a three- year old girl being raped.
Madam Greene said despite gender refers to both sexes but women and girls are mostly affected due to their physical make-up.
She said the 16 days Activism Against Gender Violence currently observe across the country would draw the attention of authorities concern to act on the silent suffering women and girls faced.
Madam Greene noted that women and girls were vulnerable due to lack of education, lack of empowerment and physical- make up.
She appealed to SWAASL members in their various communities not to compromise SGBV, but to report such cases to the nearest police station or the Family Support Unit (FSU).
Natalie Cole past president of Soroptimist in giving a brief background of Soroptimist International Club Freetown said the aim of the club was to help women and girls.
She said the club has existed in Sierra Leone for thirty –years, adding that they have been giving out assistant to Cheshire Home, The Aged Home, Bo, and Makeni.
She disclosed that the club has no partner that rendered any form of assistant, noting that members contribute from their salaries or fund raising programs to execute their project.
The former president said the club has assisted in the construction of boreholes in various communities and assisted less privileged children in schools in Freetown.
Madam Cole said the Soroptimist Club supported the FSU about two- year ago on radio programs to create awareness about SGBV across the country.
One of the SWAASL members Mariatu Conteh thanked the Club members for educating members on SGBV, adding that when they get back to their various communities would help to propagate what they learnt.
