Sierra Leone: The Sierra Leone Women's Health Network, including its mission, the services it offers, and projects (2011-June 2015)
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the following sources indicated that they had no knowledge of any organization called the Sierra Leone Women's Health Network: an associate of the African chapter of Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights (22 June 2015) [1], a program officer for Amnesty International (AI)'s Human Rights Capacity Building Program based in Sierra Leone (30 June 2015), the President of the Sierra Leone Association of University Women (SLAUW 29 June 2015) [2], and the Associate Director of Human Rights Watch's West Africa Program (Human Rights Watch 16 June 2015). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the AI Program Officer as well as the Interim Chairperson for the Centre for Development and Peace Education (CDPeace) [3], also based in Sierra Leone, both stated that the Sierra Leone Women's Health Network is not located at the address provided in the information request (AI 30 June 2015; CDPeace 29 June 2015).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Notes
[1] Urgent Action Fund for Women's Rights is a "global women's fund that protects, strengthens and sustains women and transgender human rights defenders" (Urgent Action Fund n.d.).
[2] The Sierra Leone Association of University Women is a partner organization of Graduate Women International, a global NGO that advocates for women's rights, equality and empowerment through education initiatives (Graduate Women International n.d.).
[3] CDPeace is a community-based development centre in Sierra Leone that works to "enhance the capacity of its learning partners to build sustainable cultures of peace, non-violence, justice, self-reliance, participatory governance and human security both locally and globally" (University of Calgary 5 Aug. 2010).
References
Amnesty International (AI). 30 June 2015. Accessing Justice in Rural Sierra Leone Program. Correspondence from a program officer to the Research Directorate.
Centre for Development and Peace Education (CD Peace). 29 June 2015. Correspondence from the Interim Chairperson to the Research Directorate.
Graduate Women International. N.d. "What We Do." <http://www.graduatewomen.org/what-we-do/projects/> [Accessed 2 July 2015]
Human Rights Watch. 16 June 2015. Correspondence from the Associate Director for West Africa to the Research Directorate.
Sierra Leone Association of University Women (SLAUW). 29 June 2015. Correspondence from the President to the Research Directorate.
University of Calgary. 5 August 2010. "Peacebuilding and Social Justice." <http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/utoday/august5-2010/summerinstitute> [Accessed 2 July 2015]
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights. 22 June 2015. Correspondence from an associate to the Research Directorate.
_____. N.d. "Mission and History." <http://urgentactionfund.org/who-we-are/mission-history/> [Accessed 2 July 2015]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: The following were unable to provide information for this Response: American Jewish World Service; Associate Professor of international peace and conflict resolution, American University; Professor of social work, McGill University.
Attempts to contact the following were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response: Centre for Safe Motherhood, Youth, and Child Outreach; ENCISS; Graceland Counselling Services; Lecturer in African studies, University of Bradford; Mano River Women's Peace Network; One World Women's Health; Professor and Chairperson of African studies, Brooklyn College; Sierra Leone – Ministry of Health and Sanitation, National HIV/AIDS Secretariat; Sierra Leone Women's Health Network; West Africa Network for Peacebuilding.
Internet sites, including: Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights; Africa Confidential; African Research Bulletin; Agence France-Presse; AllAfrica.com; Amnesty International; Canada – Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, International Development Research Centre; ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; Global Network of Women Peacebuilders; The Guardian; Human Rights Watch; Mano River Women's Peace Network; The New York Times; One World Women's Health; Reuters; Sierra Leone – Ministry of Health and Sanitation, National HIV/AIDS Secretariat; Sierra Leone Web; United Nations - UN Women; Urgent Action Fund- Africa; The Washington Post; West Africa Network for Peacebuilding; Womankind; Women Under Siege Project.