Preventing Conflict by Empowering Women in Freetown’s Informal Settlements
? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
September 2024
Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone, faces an alarming rate of deforestation, driven by illegal land grabbing, quarrying, and charcoal production1. These activities, combined with climate change, pose severe threats to the Guma Dam, the city’s primary source of drinking water. The Guma Valley Water Company, which supplies water to around 60% of Freetown’s population, provides 75 million liters of water – far short of the 150 million liters needed.?
As Freetown rapidly expands through informal settlements, limited water access has become a driver of conflict, especially in areas underserved or not served at all by the Water Company. According to a report from the Freetown City Council, the capital now hosts over 74 informal settlements, many of which have seen recent influxes of people migrating from rural areas.
Conflict over water resources has escalated in Freetown, particularly in these informal settlements, due to the lack of regulation, and increased demand and competition. Prominent community members, predominantly men, have gained influence and control over water resources, leaving marginalized groups, especially women, with insufficient water for their basic needs. A survey conducted by UNCDF during project design found that this water deprivation often aligns with ethno-regional and political divides, where access is granted based on perceived ethnic or political affiliations, often influenced by presumed voting behavior or other forms of support.?
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? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
Women and girls bear the greatest burden of water collection, placing them in vulnerable positions.? Young men, appointed as caretakers of water sources, often exploit their power by demanding sex in exchange for water – a practice known as “wata fo wata” meaning water for water.
Women and girls also face harassment and abuse while walking to and from water sources, often during the early morning hours. This sexual and gender-based violence related to water collection contributes to high levels of adolescent pregnancy, stigmatization, and isolation of survivors, exacerbating community conflicts. Girls frequently face the harrowing choice of refusing sexual demands and being beaten by family members for returning without water, or enduring sexual violence at the hands of those controlling the wells.
? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
Peacebuilding support?
The Women for Water and Peace (W4WP) project, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund for a budget of $1.5 million, is led by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Freetown City Council (FCC). Running from January 2022 to July 2024, this project has been addressing community conflict and sexual violence related to equitable access to water in Freetown. ?
The project has adopted a community-driven approach, focusing on social and economic empowerment. To date, 200 young women and 45 women leaders across five marginalized communities have been trained and supported to become pivotal agents of change. These women now manage and operate 25 water kiosks equipped with solar powered purification systems, installed by the project. These kiosks are not just infrastructure; they represent a lifeline, providing clean and accessible water to households in some of Freetown’s most vulnerable communities. ?
While the?project builds on the Blue Peace project?and its innovative water kiosk design, implemented by UNCDF in other parts of Freetown with funding from the Swiss Government, the W4WP project takes a more inclusive approach at the community level. It prioritizes local participation, embedding peacebuilding and social cohesion at its core. By ensuring that the economic benefits of these water kiosks remain within the community, W4WP is fostering resilience in areas where stability is often fragile. Additionally, the City Council plays a critical role in monitoring and sustaining the water infrastructure.?
? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
?Women’s Leadership and in Water Management, Conflict Resolution and Fight against SGBV
As part of its commitment to women’s empowerment and the fight against gender-based violence, the project has leveraged strong community linkages and trust through local partners such as the Federation of Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP) and the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ). The project has facilitated peer-to-peer working groups with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including both women and men, and employed the “theatre for development” approach to illustrate the lived experiences of water-related conflicts and SGBV.
Over 7,500 community members have participated in awareness-raising activities focused on gender-based violence, fostering public discussions aimed at increasing access to resources and protecting women from exploitation. These efforts have enabled women and girls to adopt leadership roles in their communities. 45 women leaders and 40 women’s groups have been strengthened and equipped with dialogue and conflict resolution techniques ensuring that women play active roles in community decision-making. This progress is reflected in the significant increase in the percentage of community members who believe women should manage water-related conflicts, rising from 33% to 85% during the project cycle.
Women’s Economic Empowerment and Improved Water Access
Beyond changing attitudes about women’s roles and SGBV and improving water access, the project has also created 280 long-term jobs for kiosk operators, technicians and security guards, providing them with technical training and business planning support. For the first time, approximately 25,000 people will have access to clean water within their communities, reducing reliance on chlorinated water in plastic packets and lessening the pollution of drainage systems.
Financial inclusion has also been a significant focus, with 25 savings groups established around each water kiosk. These groups have facilitated the inclusion of 625 people, 80% of them women, into the financial system through peer-to-peer lending, mobile money transactions, and the opening of formal bank accounts, all supported by project-led training, technical assistance and ongoing guidance.?
? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
The project’s success is largely due to its localized approach, working with five local organizations, particularly the Federation of Urban and Rural Poor (FEDURP). Comprising volunteers who live and work in informal settlements in and around Freetown, FEDURP has been instrumental in advocating for residents at both local and national levels. By involving local community leaders and stakeholders in the Project Board, technical committees, and dedicated communication channels, the project ensured that community concerns were addressed swiftly and effectively.
Moreover, in order to uphold a the Do No Harm principle, FEDURP placed two coordinators in each community to monitor activities closely, including construction work, and to quickly address any issues. This participatory approach from the outset was crucial in shifting mindsets and behaviours regarding women’s role in decision-making and SGBV. Community stakeholders, including women and youth leaders, co-designed key messages and methodologies with local NGOs, making the initiative more effective in changing attitudes and behaviours.
? UNCDF, Olusoji Seye?| Women for Water and Peace.
Hawa Mansaray, the community chairlady in Rokupa, East Freetown, has become an active agent of change after participating in all the project’s interventions and training sessions. She now plays a pivotal role in her community, using her newly acquired skills to detect, intervene in and resolve conflicts as well as potential instances of sexual violence.
In the communities targeted by the project, people are beginning to see improvements not only in water access and women’s economic and social empowerment, but also in the reduction conflict and violence related to water. This community-focused empowerment model, credited with these positive changes, is now under consideration by the City Council and various partners for potential replication in other underserved areas of the city.