Campaigning for women's rights and establishment of the first Sex Workers Organisation in Sierra Leone

Project period:

01.10.2018 - 30.06.2019

Granted amount:

295,788,- DKK

Organization:

Brighter Horizons

Partners:

Brighter Horizons Sierra Leone

Pool:

Civilsamfundspuljen

Grant type:

Medborgerindsats

World goals:

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

Goal 5: Gender Equality

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Efforts take place in:

Sierra Leone

Overall targets

The overall objective of the intervention is to mobilise public support for women's rights, contribute to end violence against women and sex workers through capacity building of civil society organisations.

Immediate targets

The immediate objectives for the intervention are: - Strengthening of two CSO's working with and for marginalized groups in Freetown, Sierra Leone - Establishing a solid foundation for initiating advocacy work for and with marginalized groups, hereunder female sex workers - Initiating activities to illustrate/address living conditions of sex workers and women in general, e.g. in terms of violence and arbitrary arrests/abuse from police and sex customers - Creating public and especially political awareness of the target group's challenges and livelihood

Target groups

There are three target groups for this intervention (non-prioritized listing): The first target group is the CSO, Brighter Horizons Sierra Leone. Within this target group are: - 15 central figures of the organisation (staff and board members - both sexes) - 30 volunteers The second target group is approximately 20 female sex workers, aged 18-30 years, to be frontrunners in the SWO. The third target group consists of the general public and local authorities/politicians. Approximately 1.2 mill. people live in Freetown, albeit the intervention will primarily target those living in selected areas in Freetown reducing the total number significantly.

Resume

This intervention takes place in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The overall objective of the intervention is to mobilise public support for women's rights, contribute to end violence against women and sex workers through capacity building of civil society organisations. The target groups are key staff and board members of two CSO's in Freetown, female sex workers in Freetown and the general public and local authorities. The main activities are capacity building of two CSO's followed by three information campaigns in Freetown. The intervention ends with a large event on International Sex Workers Day in 2019. Risks include volunteers/staff being harassed by police or experiences of unrest on streets connected to campaigns all of which are mitigated through training and network.