GoWoman Podcast: Jane survived abuse, rape in Sierra Leone. This is her story. #speaktheunspeakable
After years of silence, Jane Williams is opening up about growing up unprotected in Sierra Leone. Before she was 10 years old she was already multiple times a victim of child abuse. At age 13 she was raped on her way home from school. By the time she left secondary school, her boyfriend would beat her repeatedly, choking her with electric cables. She says she left him because she was afraid he might kill her.
Jane is a mother of one. She has made a commitment that her six year old will be protected. She is creating a safe space for her daughter to speak about all the things she never felt she could share with anyone.
For the firs time at age 25, Jane has finally found the courage to speak the unspeakable. The is her story, surviving years of psychical and sexual abuse in Sierra Leone. Listen to the story, in her own words.
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Sierra Leone GBV Stats & Notes
Rape: Sierra Leone Police processed 8505 reported cases of rape in Sierra Leone in 2018, 75% of these cases were children 15 and younger
Intimate Partner Abuse: 45% of all women in Sierra Leone have suffered domestic violence
Female Genital Mutilation: Over 90% of women in Sierra Leone have undergone female genital cutting
The President of Sierra Leone has made rape a national emergency in Sierra Leone. He has called for stronger law enforcement, and free medical care for victims.
