The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a globally recognized campaign, observed from November 25th to December 10th each year. It serves as a critical platform for raising awareness, mobilizing communities, and advocating for effective measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) against women and Girls.
Caritas Freetown, a prominent humanitarian organization dedicated to serving the vulnerable in Sierra Leone, has joined hands with numerous other organizations to mark this year’s event.
As part of our activities Caritas engaged staffs from different departments to participate in this year’s activity. The staffs were able to identify different activities ranging from the development of Key messages, Radio Discussion program, sensitization in different schools and different communities and the event was climaxed in one of our project locations encompassing four communities who came to grace the occasion.
RADIO DISCUSSION PROGRAM
The radio discussion program took place at the culture radio in Grafton Community on the 2nd of December 2023 at 3:00 pm. The panellist were members from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, the Police, representing the Family Support Unit in Grafton Community and Few Caritas Staffs who were able to discuss the role of Caritas and our partners in salvaging Gender Based Violence in the country.
SENSITISATION
Firstly, Sensitization was done across our different offices raging from our Kingtom office, Syke street and Savage street Office respectively. Berners were hung at the entrance of the three main offices depicting the theme of this year’s 16 days of Activism.
The team later targeted the St. Edward’s Secondary School and the St, Joseph’s Secondary School where we were able to talk to over 900 pupils, sensitising them on the importance of the 16 days of Activism and the role of every individual to combat gender based violence in our homes and communities.
Similarly the team of staffs continued with their sensitisation in the Western Rural Communities targeting the Waterloo community, Sattia, Mosseh, Tissana and Gbankoh Community respectively.
Climax of activity
The 16 days of Activism organised by Caritas Freetown was climax in the Western Rural community on Friday the 8th December 2023. Hundreds of people were gathered across four different communities; Sattia, Tissana, Gbankoh and Mosseh who assembled at Sattia community being the center of these four villages for the concluding activity of the 16 days of Activism. Among the community people were the Village head men and other stakeholders representing each community. Partners were invited from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, the Police; mainly the Family Support Unit, and members from other humanitarian organisations to grace the occasion. Different speakers made their contributions at the event, climaxed by the key note speaker Doris Webber from the Women’s Advocacy and Agricultural Development Organization. In her keynote speech, she commended the donors for supporting Caritas to organize such an activity that complements the effort of the Government.
