By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 22nd December 2025-Dressed in bright orange T-shirts, chanting “End sexual and gender-based violence,” members and supporters of Legal Access Through Women Yearning for Equality, Rights and Social Justice (L.A.W.Y.E.R.S) filled the streets on Saturday morning, walking from Murray Town to the Gigibonta Car Park in Lumley. In their hands were placards carrying the same words bold, direct, and visible to everyone who passed.
The walk marked the close of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, but it felt less like an ending and more like a reminder that the work continues.
“This walk is not just a march,” said Menisa Sesay, President of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S. “It is a promise a promise to protect women and girls, to listen to them, and to continue fighting for safer communities.”
Founded on February 14, 1997, L.A.W.Y.E.R.S is an organization of female lawyers who use the law to protect and promote the rights of women and girls in Sierra Leone. For nearly three decades, the organization has provided free legal advice and court representation to vulnerable women and girls, especially in cases involving domestic violence, sexual abuse, maintenance, and matrimonial disputes. It also works on law reform, pushing for legal frameworks that truly respond to the lived realities of women.
Throughout the 16 days of activism, L.A.W.Y.E.R.S took its message directly to the people. Members visited schools, held community sensitization programmes, engaged audiences on radio and television, and hosted a webinar, all focused on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and ending violence against women and girls.
According to Sesay, the need for continued advocacy remains urgent.
“Domestic violence is still there,” she said. “That is why we must keep speaking. It is not enough to have laws on paper. We need proper implementation, and we need to see how these laws affect women and girls in their daily lives.”
She explained that many of the challenges women face are rooted not only in weak enforcement of laws, but also in social attitudes that limit women’s access to justice, resources, and opportunities.
“We want a society where opportunities are not based on gender,” she said. “Where women and men are treated equally in all aspects of life.”
Beyond advocacy, Sesay stressed that L.A.W.Y.E.R.S is deeply involved in direct legal support. Many survivors of sexual and gender-based violence appear before the courts without legal representation. In such cases, the organization often steps in to represent them, free of charge.
“We see women who come to court alone,” she said. “Our role is to stand with them, to make sure their voices are heard.”
The walk was attended by several stakeholders, including the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, Esq. Although the atmosphere was noisy, his presence underscored government attention to the issue. Addressing participants, the Attorney General reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of women and girls, emphasizing the importance of enforcing existing laws and strengthening collaboration between institutions, civil society, and the justice sector to tackle sexual and gender-based violence.
He also acknowledged the role organizations like L.A.W.Y.E.R.S play in bridging the gap between the law and vulnerable women, noting that access to justice remains a critical part of the fight against abuse.
As the march ended in Lumley, the chants slowly faded, but the determination remained. For the women in orange, the close of the 16 Days of Activism was not a conclusion it was a continuation.
For L.A.W.Y.E.R.S, the promise made on the streets that morning is one they intend to keep: to continue advocating, representing, engaging stakeholders, and working with the media until women and girls in Sierra Leone can live free from violence and fear.
