Across West and Central Africa, women and girls are subjected to different forms of gender-based violence (GBV), including early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). Such violence exposes them to many vulnerabilities and multiple human rights violations.
According to the UN Population Fund’s latest figures, 33% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 18% of girls aged 15 to 19 experience some form of FGM in West and Central Africa.
Amnesty is working closely with communities and partner organizations to combat these harmful practices in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Meet five activists who are working to raise community awareness, challenge gender-based violence and support survivors.
Nancy Gbamoi
Nancy, 45, is the coordinator of Amnesty International’s partner organization, Each One Save One, in northern Sierra Leone. Nancy, who has one daughter, works closely with community alert committees to combat gender-based violence, and monitors safe spaces for girls in Port Loko district communities, among other activities.
“I started to be an activist when I left school, in 2002. It has not been easy.
Girls face gender-based violence in their communities, in their families, and at school. Early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation have been rampant. You hear about them, but you don’t see them [as people hide].
When I receive a call from someone reporting a case of GBV, I immediately go to investigate.
Nancy Gbamoi
I am really empowered now. The training carried out by Amnesty helped me a lot. I learnt many things, including how to report cases of GBV. In my work, I rely a lot on people like teachers and the alert committees’ members.
When I receive a call from someone reporting a case, I immediately go to investigate, even if it is at night. I always make sure that I answer those calls. Some people are willing to report. Some are not.
There was a case in Port Loko involving a nine-year-old girl. A neighbour called me to report her situation. I went to the girl’s house and saw her coming out of a room with a man who was a stranger to the family. I called my colleagues and the police unit, who came [to investigate]. Afterwards, the parents committed to protect their daughter.
The safe spaces we set up are very useful for our girls, offering them a safe place to talk if they have any issues related to gender-based violence. The girls learn new skills and are empowered to stand up for their rights.
I like the work I am doing. I am passionate about it.”
Lydie Ami Faye
For three years Ami, 14, has been a member of a human rights club established by Amnesty at Tabadian Dialico secondary school in the Tambacounda region, eastern Senegal.
“With the school club, we sometimes put on plays about female genital mutilation. Our teacher explains to us that we shouldn’t get married early, that we have to learn until we pass our baccalaureate to go to university. He explains the forms of violence, children’s rights, human rights… I know that girls have the right to education, equality, health and leisure. They have the right to a birth certificate, and the right to peace too.
I often sit down with my girlfriends and talk to them about our rights. We talk about violence and FGM, and I explain to them what they don’t know. I tell them that they shouldn’t get married early. I also talk to the boys. I tell them what they shouldn’t do with girls [have sexual relations] because girls are children, we are all children.
There are about 50 of us in the club. There are boys too. A lot of the students say they want to join too.
My mum agrees with what I’m doing with the club, she believes in it. She won’t marry me off early, she wants me to study. When I’m older, I want to be a singer, and if that’s not possible, I want to join the army.”
Aissatou Sall
Aissatou, 43, works as a trader in Koussanar, eastern Senegal. She is a member of a community alert committee set up in 2011 to combat gender-based violence.
“We have been able to prevent more than 100 cases of early and forced marriages in Koussanar. People call us all the time to report cases.
I personally succeeded in breaking up a planned marriage. A girl who wasn’t yet 18 was to be married off. When I heard about this, I went to see the imam who was to seal the marriage to dissuade him. I told him, ‘If you do it, you risk getting into trouble because there’s a committee here that deals with such cases.’ After that, the imam went to the girl’s family and told them to wait until their daughter was 18 before marrying her off.
We’re now able to do things that we didn’t dare do before.
Aissatou Sall
There was also the case of a girl who lived with her mother and her stepfather. Her mother often went away on trips, leaving her at home. The stepfather abused her from the age of 17. When I found out, I discreetly alerted the police, who went to investigate. The girl’s aunt went to court and the man was arrested and imprisoned. That’s one of the victories I was able to achieve.
I myself have four daughters. Two are at university and two are in secondary school. I’m fighting against early and forced marriage, so I won’t give away my daughters in marriage without their consent, or at an early age.
With the committee, we achieve tangible results. We’re proud of ourselves because we’re now able to do things that we didn’t dare do before.”
Adama Ouédraogo
Adama, 55, is a farmer and father of nine. He is a member of an alert committee in the province of Passoré, northern Burkina Faso.
“Six years ago, I witnessed a case of gender-based violence against young girls in our community. Men came to take them against their will and force them to become their wives.
Parents also sometimes choose men for their daughters without their consent. There is also the practice of cutting [FGM], which was common in our community.
I witnessed all this and felt powerless. I was outraged and didn’t know where to turn. But with Amnesty International’s intervention in our village, through the awareness-raising activities and especially the alert committee that was set up, I committed myself to fighting against GBV and for human rights to be respected in my community.
My participation in these activities has enabled me to strengthen my knowledge and to contribute resolving several cases of girls being abducted and forced into marriage, and above all to the ending of excision [FGM], which used to be practiced by an old woman in our village.
I now see education and the future of my children, particularly my daughters, in a different light. I’ve become a contact person in my community, because fathers come to see me to ask me to intervene when they’re faced with cases of violence against their daughters. There are also girls who come to me to ask me to speak with their parents and convince them to let them go to school.”
Adamsay Conteh
Adamsay, 17, has five siblings. She is a member of a human rights club at Mabein secondary school, northern Sierra Leone. She wants to study to become a nurse.
“I have learnt most of what I know about gender-based violence at the school club. I learnt that I should not be forced into early marriage, that children should not be beaten, and also that girls should not be forced into the ‘Bondo Society’ for initiation [and therefore be subjected to FGM]. Boys and men should not do bad things to us like sexual abuse and sexual violence. It must stop!
I know some people are not happy with me. I am fully prepared to face this challenge.
Adamsay Conteh
Some time ago, my sister was about to be forced into marriage by one of our uncles. I warned my mother not to force us into early marriage, as we are still young girls. I said to her that I wouldn’t hesitate to report her and if she was taken to jail, we would suffer the consequences. I said that I would not participate in anything for the marriage ceremony, including fetching water, carrying firewood for cooking and other domestic chores. I also asked my other uncle to talk to my mother about abandoning this plan.
I am not going to stop campaigning here; I will go beyond our community. Wherever I go and find out that there is a marriage ceremony going on, I will ask for the age of those marrying. As for those who initiate their girls into Bondo Society, and those who are used to beating their children, I will take action against them. First, I will warn them to stop and if they don’t, I will report them.
I know some people are not happy with me. I am fully prepared to face this challenge.”
Through a human rights education programme implemented since 2017 in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Sierra Leone, Amnesty International is working to combat gender-based violence through education, awareness-raising and advocacy, with a view to changing attitudes and behaviours and helping to reform legislation in these countries.