User:BrownOso/sandbox

= Gender Equality in Sierra Leone =

Household
Although women account for about 50 percent of the population in Sierra Leone, only 28 percent are households head. As in the rest of the countries, education is a key factor in succeeding in aspects such as a well-paid jobs and covering the needs of a house. Rural areas are the most common to lack access to education having only male-headed four percent ahead of females with basic education and 1.2 percent more at post-graduate level.

In Sierra Leone, normally, men are automatically positioned as household heads; and their status does not change if their marital status changes over time. However, female household does change depending on their marital status. A woman can be the head of the house only is she remains single for the rest of her life. But if a woman gets married, she will not be entitled as the head of the house anymore. Females can take over the household head if they become widowed or divorced.

In the labor field, it is expected that the household will financially provide the needs of the family. However, females face gender discrimination making them the target of lower incomes and financial struggle .In numbers, females present a lower per cent (6.3) versus males (15.2) when it comes to be paid employees.

War
Children who have been forced to be part of a war have experienced severe mental and emotional damage in Sierra Leone. However, the damage and way to deal with the effects of war depends on the gender of the kids. Both genders experienced and were involved in high levels of violence. Females, experiencing giver levels of rapes, presented greater signs of depression and anxiety. Males, on the other hand, presented higher levels of anxiety and hostility. Males also showed to be more vulnerable to depression after losing a care giver.

Epidemics (Ebola)
With women being more than half the population of Sierra Leone, they contribute in great part to the country's economy and society. Women, by nature, are also caregivers which puts them in a vulnerable position. That is to say, when a family member gets sick, because of Ebola, women put themselves at risk of catching the virus. Even after the infected person has died, women are in charge of preparing the funeral, which involves touching the infected body giving women a higher risk of being infected. The vulnerability in infected women with Ebola grows when health institutions can not provide a decent service because they are full or do not have the right equipment to cure the patients.

Gender-Based Violence
In certain societies such as Sierra Leone, the lack of social and economic support for women makes them more vulnerable, making them the target of gender violence. By managing to repress women, men possess greater power and become the decision-maker. The method to implement gender-based violence can vary; it can be sexual, physical, verbal, economical, or emotional. Violence does not respect factors such as age, socio-economical position, or education. Denouncing violence is hard for most women due to the honor and reputation of their family name. A victim, who suffers from violence, begins to lose self-confidence due to fear of reporting the aggressor or exposing family problems. This is why a woman who suffers from physical violence prefers not to attend with a specialist to heal her wounds. In some other cases, when females dare to denounce the crime, the system is very corrupt that authorities involved accept bribes from the victimizer.

Female Economy
Small female-operated business not only could contribute to Sierra Leone's economy, it could also help women to become independent in several ways. However, women face discrimination when it comes to obtain financial, social, and cultural help to start a business. It is difficult to avoid the economic paralysis in Sierra Leone given that more than half of the population in the country is women. Due to the lack of access to basic education, women are the least prepared when in comes to process business license, register the name or contracting. Not having the capital to start a new business is the biggest barrier for women. With the lack of technology, mostly in all Sierra Leone, it is hard to help a business to function.