By Ishmael Dumbuya
Theriyeh Koroma, a staunch feminist advocate, has noted that issues relating to feminism must be addressed and solved by feminists, adding that it’s very weird having men to be championing and addressing feminist issues.
She said they as women are better equipped to speak to feminist issues, as he who feels it knows it.
She made the statement at the Council of Churches Sierra Leone (CCSL Hall where she served as one of the panelists at a training organised by Free Media Group, Publishers of Politico Newspaper.
Theriyeh went on to state that issues relating to feminism are very delicate and sensitive and on that note it should be addressed by feminists.
She said women are going through a lot of stigmatization and segregation in Sierra Leone and that it was as a result of that she took up the feminist fight in the country.
Theriyeh mentioned that Sierra Leonean women are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence in the form of domestic violence, sexual assault of adults and minors, marital rape, school-related sexual abuse, and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation.
Thus, male feminist advocate are not better equipped to unveil and speak to such issues.
She underscored that there are people who believe that “we do not need feminism today, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Women have struggled for equality and against oppression for decades in Sierra Leone, and although some battles have been partly won, but women are still disproportionally affected all forms of violence and discrimination in every aspect of life.”
In her conclusion, Koroma noted that feminism can be seen as a movement to put an end to sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression and to achieve full gender equality in law and in practice. She therefore urged all feminist advocates to take the advocacy serious as it would lay a solid foundation for future feminists.
