On 22 May 2003, Binaifer Nowrojee testified on behalf of the Coalition before the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) at special hearings on sexual violence during Sierra Leone?s civil war. The Coalition submitted a written statement to the TRC that aimed at ensuring that the TRC fully examine and record the crimes of sexual violence that were inflicted against Sierra Leonean women during the conflict.
The Coalition urged the TRC to ensure an enabling environment that will provide rape victims with the comfort and privacy they need to come forward to testify. It called on the TRC to ensure that the experiences of women during the war are fully reflected in their findings. In its consideration of rape and other sexual violence crimes, the Coalition urged the TRC to frame its findings within the context of the expanding international law and not to downplay or trivialize women's experiences during the war. In concluding, the Coalition urged the TRC to ensure that their recommendations to the Sierra Leonean government and the international community consider the specific needs of the women survivors.
Sierra Leone Truth & Reconciliation
(Report)