TRC Strategy
Policy Making
Policy on gender went beyond just the notion of looking at the experiences of women and
explored how it would ensure that in all of its structures, processes, procedures, documentation,
investigations, research, hearings, findings and the Final Report, it would integrate a gendered
approach that would also include ensuring that data was disaggregated in order to establish
clear patterns of how the war had affected women and girls differently and disproportionately.
The Commission also signaled its intention to hire a gender advisory. It did not, but ensured
gender representation in every aspect of recruitment.
Partnerships
The TRC concluded an extremely valuable partnership with UNIFEM and many women's’
organisations in Sierra Leone. In the case of UNIFEM, the partnership provided that they would
provide experts that would work with women both in the urban and rural areas of Sierra Leone
which would enable statement taking, participation in making submissions to the Commission
and would facilitate participation in the Special Hearing on Women as well as facilitate making
submissions on reparations and recommendations for institutional reform
Special Conditions
There were special conditions applying to the women
► The choice whether to make their statement to a man or a woman
► Confidentiality arrangements
► Identity protection
► Freedom to decide on whether to attend a public hearing or to testify at a closed hearing
► Special closed hearings for women and children
► Lay counseling services provided for women
Violations
The TRC defined the crimes of rape, sexual slavery, forced impregnation and enforced
sterilisation. It found that 275,000 women and girls experienced sexual violations during the war
including enforced displacement (23.5%), abductions (15.7%) and arbitrary detention (12.0%)
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The Second International Conference on Transitional Justice in Zimbabwe
Select target paragraph3
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