Sierra Leone Universal Periodic Review, 5th May 2011, 11th Session: Concerns and Recommendations on violations of children’s rights The Child Rights Coalition – Sierra Leone requests that Governments participating in the UPR of Sierra Leone kindly consider raising the following:
1. Child Mortality Concern: Child mortality in Sierra Leone is one of the highest in the world (1 out of 7 die before the fifth year after birth). The implementation of free birth registration in Sierra Leone is still a challenge. Because of this, identification of children for access to free health care is difficult. Questions: -
How is the Government of Sierra Leone planning to sustain and monitor the delivery of high quality Free Health Care (for under-fives and lactating mothers) when donor Aid reduces?
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What measures is the Government of Sierra Leone planning to put in place to ensure access to free birth registration for all children including children born in the most remote communities in the country?
Recommendations: -
Develop and implement a long term and sustainable health financing mechanism by April 2012 to minimize aid dependence and to ensure that the maximum extent of available resources are allocated to realize the child’s right to survival and to health, in particular through the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI), in accordance with article 4 of the UN CRC. This should include funding for appropriate measures, including human resources, training of health workers, drugs and equipment, infrastructure and roads, monitoring and evaluation systems, tracking, and communication and dissemination of information.
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Improve the birth registration mechanism in accordance with Article 7, UN CRC, by improving access and services, exempting costs for registration for all children under 12 months of age and making registration facilities available within a reasonable geographical distance in all areas of the country by April 2012.
2. Access to / quality of Education Concern: The budget allocation by the Ministry of Education in 2010 was 10.8%, making access to quality education still a challenge. Question: -
What measures has the Government of Sierra Leone put in place to track the spending of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, disseminate the findings and adhere to 1
the implementation of measures to ensure compliance by line ministries to the recommendations of the tracking survey? Recommendation: -
Increase the annual budget spending by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to 20%. The additional funds will be used towards improving education management at all levels for efficient resource utilization in order to first and foremost provide quality education as a basic human right to children, address poverty and increase literacy levels in Sierra Leone by November 2011.
3. Violence against children Concern: 92% of children in Sierra Leone (age 2-14) have experienced some form of psychological or physical punishment. There is a limited capacity of Family Support Units (of the Sierra Leone Police) and Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs to undertake their roles to prevent and respond to violence against children. Question: -
What has Government of Sierra Leone done to recruit, train, equip and monitor staff of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police?
Recommendation: -
Expand and strengthen the presence and technical capacity of the Family Support Unit and Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs Social Workers at chiefdom level to competently and sensitively handle cases involving violence against children by December 2012.
4. Teenage pregnancy Concern: The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) of 2005 shows that 25% of females (15-19) had sex for the first time before the age of 15 and over 40% of women had their first baby by the age of 18. Teenage pregnancy has devastating effects on the health, education and social development of children. Question: -
How is the Ministry of Education Science and Technology going to deal with the high rate of teenage pregnancy throughout the country given the fact that children are not adequately informed about the dangers of this before they become sexually active (which could be as early as 11 years as shown in a study by UNICEF)?
Recommendation:
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Review and re-introduce Family Life Education (FLE) in the primary school curriculum, starting in class five (5). The curriculum should focus on values, attitudes, communication and negotiation skills, as well as the emotional and biological aspects of sexual and reproductive health and gender based violence sexual abuse and exploitation to be in place by September 2012.
5. Female genital mutilation Concern: Government of Sierra Leone has signed the UN CRC and African charter on the rights and welfare of children. However the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) still prevails. Children as young as five are still initiated and circumcised. According to the MICS (2005) 94% has undergone traditional initiation in secret societies associated with FGM. Question: -
What has the Government of Sierra Leone done to address FGM of children in Sierra Leone?
Recommendation: -
Explicitly prohibit FGM for anyone under the age of 18, by January 2014. .
6. Inadequate implementation of the 2007 Child Rights Act Concern: The Child Rights Act was passed in 2007, however key Child Protection structures (such as the National Commission for Children, Child Welfare Committees, Child Panels, Family Courts, Child Welfare Departments at Councils) are yet to be established. Question: -
Has a National Commission for Children been established and what has been done to ensure its independence?
Recommendation: -
Establish an independent and resourced National Commission for Children by mid 2012 in line with its commitments in the Child Rights Act and UN CRC.
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