Empowering women and girls to alleviate the security threats in their communities: Promoting human security in Mano River Union countries

The overall goal of the project is to empower citizens to challenge actual and perceived threats to human security and personal safety experienced by vulnerable members of the community, especially women and girls in war-affected countries and communities of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The project focuses on the human security experienced by women and girls in the Mano River Union countries, taking into consideration the peace and harmony that has eluded these three countries for so long and offering an opportunity to promote dialogues and social interactions between and amongst the peoples of the remote border communities.

The nine target communities in which Alert works are located along the borders of the three countries, in areas where cross-border communities share linguistic and cultural groups. As one of the core elements of this project, community radio stations previously established by Alert, which are located in these border communities, have been fully engaged and serve as a tool for promulgating messages of hope, peace, respect for the rule of law and security and promoting regional integration, instead  of hatred and disharmony, and changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour with regards to sexual and gender-based violence, both in terms of challenging impunity and in counteracting the stigma and ridicule often experienced by survivors.

In addition to helping to change attitudes towards sexual violence, Alert facilitates access to the use of redress mechanisms by victims by strengthening capacities among community activists to advocate so they are able to act as ‘animators’, providing assistance, guidance and support. We also contribute to more strategic and effective policies by local, national, regional and international institutions by providing training to the police and state and traditional justice personnel as well as engaging in advocacy with regional and international intergovernmental bodies.