This report, approached through a feminist analytical lens, is an investigation of women’s access to justice in Sierra Leone, which analyses women’s experiences with the formal law and customary law systems, and the resulting effects on their legal rights. Based on qualitative research conducted in country, this paper is a collection of women’s own experiences and perspectives on justice systems in the country, and engaged a diversity of stakeholders, including: members of the Sierra Leonean police and government, staff from women’s organizations, and staff from non-governmental community organizations. Women face challenges to their legal rights in Sierra Leone, and this report examines a range of socio-economic and gender-specific factors that affect access to justice in the country, and identifies social and institutional barriers that women face. Local reactions to recent developments within the country’s justice system, including the establishment of Family Support Units and the enactment of three Gender Acts, are examined. A framework for further reducing barriers to justice and strengthening women’s legal rights is presented.
