Dear JOhn,

A victory for the girls of Sierra Leone

I was in court earlier today when the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruled that the government of Sierra Leone breached the right of girls to education by prohibiting pregnant girls from accessing school and that the ban should be immediately lifted.

It was a historic moment.

Equality Now filed this case more than a year ago alongside our partners Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society (WAVES), Child Welfare Society and the Institute for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (IHRDA) to fight for Sierra Leonean girls, most of whom were sexually violated at the height of the Ebola crisis in their country and wound up pregnant.

This court decision is therefore a triumphant victory for these girls and for Equality Now whose purpose is to uphold laws that protect and promote the rights of women and girls.

I wanted to share this video with you of Hannah Yambasu, the Executive Director of WAVES, describing what this victory means for the girls she supports.

Your support made this possible. Thank you.

In solidarity,

Judy Gitau
Regional Coordinator, Africa