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| Addressing sexual
violence in Sierra Leone
A quest for justice
Snapshots of
Somalia
Rebuilding Livelihoods in Liberia
Laying the groundwork for peace in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
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In this Issue > Sexual violence in Sierra Leone Quick Links > Newsletter Home> PDF of this Issue > Past Issues Related Materials > Gender and crisis
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Although it has been six years since the official end of hostilities, Sierra Leone’s image still
remains tainted by the brutality of the decadelong civil war characterized by cutting off the hands of
helpless civilians. Today, Sierra Leone is on the long road to recovery.However, peace has come at a high price, especially
for women and girls. Violence against women and girls is astonishing—all the more so because redress is rarely
available.
From images of hunger to Black Hawk Down, my preconceptions of Somalia stemmed from my childhood.
It was a great opportunity to challenge these ideas when I and Sara Sekkenes, Senior Programme and
Development Advisor, visited Somalia (Hargeisa and Baidoa) in July to review the UNDP-supported Mine
Action Programme, which has been ongoing for almost a decade. Hargeisa was in many ways the opposite of what I
expected: The town was well developed, with roads and a functioning market. I did not see a single person
carrying a weapon.
In Bogale, one of the five most cyclone-damaged townships in the delta region, people bathed and washed clothes in the muddy river. The tap water was brown, and there was an outbreak of scabies. There was no Internet
connection. UNDP staff used satellite phones to call the Yangon office. As part of UNDP's immediate crisis response team, I travelled to the delta part of the country.
Martha lost her husband during the civil war that tore Liberia apart and left 75 percent of the population in
extreme poverty. A mother of two, Martha did not have any formal training. She could not send her children to
school as she was not able to pay their school fees. Since Martha became a beneficiary of the UNDP
Microfinance Initiative, her life has changed for the better. 
Recently, I spent three months in North Kivu in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) helping support the newly established local
government body, the Provincial Peacebuilding Unit. There, in conjunction with facilitators from the Unit staff and local experts (including
several women), I helped facilitate a conflict analysis and planning exercise with the aim of developing a peace and development strategy
for the region. 