By Davida Spaine-Solomon
As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child Today, October 11, Sierra Leone joins the global reflection with a question that cuts to the heart of its national conscience: are the country’s laws truly protecting the girl child, or have they become well-written promises that remain painfully out of reach?
This year’s theme, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead – Girls on the Frontline of Crisis,” echoes across the country, from government halls to grassroots gatherings, as girls, advocates, and officials reckon with the gap between policy and practice.
It has been 30 years since the landmark Beijing Conference, where Sierra Leone joined other nations in pledging to uphold the rights of women and girls. Since then, the country has passed a suite of progressive laws, the Child Rights Act of 2007, the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act of 2019, and most recently, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2024.
On paper, these laws form a formidable shield against abuse, exploitation, and neglect. But in practice, that shield is often paper-thin. In communities across the country, from the crowded slums of Freetown to the remote chiefdoms of Konduga, girls continue to face early marriage, sexual violence, and a justice system that too often fails to deliver.
These are not just asumptions, they are lived realities. They are the stories of girls forced into motherhood before they finish childhood, of survivors whose perpetrators walk free, and of families silenced by stigma or poverty.
At the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Deputy Director Daniel Albert Gbow acknowledges both the progress made and the challenges that persist. He points to Sierra Leone’s commitments under international conventions and highlights reforms such as the updated Child Rights Act of 2025, which awaits presidential assent, and the rollout of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.
The ministry has also established a National Referral Pathway to coordinate protection services and is reviewing the Alternative Care Policy to better support girls removed from abusive homes. But Gbow is candid about the obstacles. Limited budget allocations, a lack of trained social workers, especially in rural areas and the absence of a forensic lab all hamper the ministry’s ability to enforce the very laws it helped craft. “When sexual penetration cases arise, we struggle,” he admits. “Without forensic evidence, it’s difficult to prove guilt when perpetrators deny the act.” Still, he insists that reform is happening, albeit slowly. The ministry works with child protection partners and community structures, training local committees to act as watchdogs. One-stop centers have been established in six districts to provide survivors with counseling, medical care, and referrals. “We are not where we want to be,” Gbow says, “but we are moving.”
Civil society, however, remains cautious. Bob Lamin, Head of Programs at the Rainbo Initiative, Sierra Leone’s first provider of free medical and psychosocial services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence says the laws are there, but enforcement is weak.
“We’ve supported over 30,000 women and girls, 93% of them under 17,” Lamin notes. “But justice is still elusive. The absence of a forensic lab continues to undermine accountability.” For Rainbo, justice is not just about convictions, it’s about healing, restoration, and empowerment. Lamin calls on the government to invest more in law enforcement and judicial capacity. “Every year, we ask why justice fails,” he says. “And every year, the answer is the same: lack of resources.”
At this year’s national commemoration, organized by the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs in partnership with child protection organizations, girls were not just present, they were leading. Emma Vincent, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF, reminded the audience that girls are not merely victims but agents of change. “We see girls leading climate action, organizing in their communities, and demanding their rights,” she said. “But we must invest more in them.” The statistics she shared were sobering: 21% of girls in Sierra Leone are pregnant, and 9% between the ages of 10 and 18 are married before age 15. “These numbers should trouble us all,” she added.
Philipa Cride Dole, President of the Children’s Forum Network, delivered a powerful message on behalf of girls across the country. “This theme reminds us of our resilience,” she said. “But child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and FGM are robbing us of our childhood.” While she welcomed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, she stressed that implementation remains slow. She also urged Parliament to include a clause banning female genital mutilation in the new Child Rights Bill. “Leaving it out ignores one of the biggest threats to girls,” she said. Her call was clear and urgent: “We need comprehensive sexual education, community protection, and a society where girls can learn, grow, and lead without fear or limitation.”
Minister Isata Mahoi closed the ceremony with a message that captured the spirit of the day. “Every survivor carries a truth, and the world must hear it,” she said. “Ending child marriage and protecting girls begins with listening, believing, and acting.” For many Sierra Leonean girls, the law remains a distant promise, one they are still waiting to feel in their daily lives. Until the words written in the country’s statutes translate into real protection in classrooms, homes, and courtrooms, the fight for the girl child’s safety and dignity remains unfinished. On this International Day of the Girl Child, as the world celebrates The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead, Sierra Leone must confront a hard truth: laws alone cannot protect the girl child.
