Incomplete Victory in Sierra Leone

posted: September 23, 2002

The Christian Science Monitor

Regarding your Sept. 18 article "Sierra Leone: The path from pariah to peace," While it's true that demobilization in Sierra Leone is considered by many to be a success story, it has been largely a failure for the women who were forced to be among the fighting forces; particularly those who were not traditional combatants, but were abducted and served as cooks, servants, wives, and sex slaves to the fighters.

The disarmament process did not take into consideration the noncombatant roles women played among fighting forces, focusing instead on those who took direct part in the hostilities. As a result, these women have no access to health services, schools, or job-skills training, and little is being done to address their needs.

Jane Lowick
New York
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children