0:00:09 > 0:00:13Just look at this place. It's idyllic, isn't it?
0:00:13 > 0:00:15But don't be fooled by the scenery.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16In my working life,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I have travelled to many countries in the world
0:00:18 > 0:00:22but it has been quite a few years since I was in one that had
0:00:22 > 0:00:26such a brutal and tragic recent past
0:00:26 > 0:00:31as this small West African country. Sierra Leone.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35It's clear that everyone here is living with the legacy of
0:00:35 > 0:00:38the devastating civil war that raged in this country
0:00:38 > 0:00:39for more than a decade.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42But I've come here to learn about the particular hardships
0:00:42 > 0:00:46and injustice faced by the women of Sierra Leone.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Many women here still face violence and discrimination on a daily basis.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But I'm going to show you what some of the women in this country
0:00:54 > 0:00:58are doing to stand up for themselves and really turn their lives around.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02And I'm going to ask for your help in creating a safer
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and much fairer future for women all over the world.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08During the conflict 12 years ago,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12one particular weapon or was aimed at women - sexual violence.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14And on an appalling scale.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18It is estimated that a quarter of a million women were raped.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22One of those women is Isatu.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25During the war, rebels attacked her village and killed her husband
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and two children right in front of her eyes.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32And that was by no means the end of her ordeal.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Isatu was held captive by her family's killers for three years
0:01:57 > 0:02:00before she escaped. By then she was pregnant
0:02:00 > 0:02:04and when the child was born she had no-one to turn to.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16But there is a charity which helps women like Isatu who find
0:02:16 > 0:02:18themselves powerless and alone.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Womankind Worldwide is a UK-based charity that funds local
0:02:24 > 0:02:27organisations that help women who have experienced violence
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and discrimination in developing countries across the world.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36When Isatu was at her lowest point, she met a rape counsellor
0:02:36 > 0:02:40who runs a project funded by Womankind,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and her life began to turn around.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Good to see you. Good to see you.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52What did she say to you that made you feel different?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Do you feel good about yourself now?
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Sierra Leone is now moving on from the legacy of the war
0:03:31 > 0:03:35but violence against women is still all too common.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39And it stems from a lack of basic equality for women.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47The most effective way to get rid of inequality is to empower women
0:03:47 > 0:03:52but, here in Sierra Leone, the odds really are stacked against women.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It just stops them from enjoying the kind of basic
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and fundamental rights that you and I would take for granted.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02For instance, it is really difficult to get any kind of justice
0:04:02 > 0:04:06if you go to a local police station or the local courts.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10In part because too many men in this country
0:04:10 > 0:04:13still think of women as possessions.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16But I'm about to meet a woman who really did stand up
0:04:16 > 0:04:19for her rights against all the odds and she did it with
0:04:19 > 0:04:23the help of a local project which is supported by Womankind.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29'Fanta was only a child when her parents died in poverty.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31'She was left in the care of her aunt
0:04:31 > 0:04:34'but she wasn't safe there for long.'
0:04:45 > 0:04:48So what happened when you went to live with her?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09A friend brought Fanta to this project where they made her
0:05:09 > 0:05:14aware of her legal rights and convinced the police to intervene.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16She was able to leave her husband
0:05:16 > 0:05:20but bringing up her daughters as a single mother in a society like this
0:05:20 > 0:05:22was always going to be very difficult.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Again, Womankind was able to help her gain some
0:05:25 > 0:05:28independence by supporting her to train as a tailor.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Helping individual women like Fanta out of crisis is vital
0:05:54 > 0:05:58but Womankind know that the key to bringing about long-lasting change
0:05:58 > 0:06:01is securing equal access to the justice system.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05In rural areas, justice is administered through
0:06:05 > 0:06:09traditional systems where the local chief holds sway.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14But it tends to mean that women's rights get sidelined a bit.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18So, in another project that is being supported by Womankind,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20they are working WITH the local chiefs,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23they're changing attitudes and ensuring that women get
0:06:23 > 0:06:27a really fair hearing when it comes to settling a dispute.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33This is a community forum that is being held by the local chief.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37With the help of Womankind, he now promotes women's rights
0:06:37 > 0:06:39and allows them to air their grievances.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45One of the women who has learned about her rights
0:06:45 > 0:06:48is grandmother Musu.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Her elderly husband died leaving Musu vulnerable to other men
0:06:52 > 0:06:55who laid claim to the land that Musu farmed.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58She lost her only means of supporting her children
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and keeping them in school.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11The charity made her aware of her rights
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and helped her to fight the case and win back her land.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16So her large family are now harvesting the crops
0:07:16 > 0:07:18that they rely on.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20What difference has it made your family having this land
0:07:20 > 0:07:22and being able to work it?
0:07:33 > 0:07:37I'm full of admiration for the women I have met here who, like Musu,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41have managed to change their desperate situations for the better,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43against great odds.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Women who are denied justice and basic rights,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49that's a global problem.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52By donating now, you can ensure that women will be able to
0:07:52 > 0:07:56live in safety without discrimination
0:07:56 > 0:08:01through the many projects that Womankind funds with its partners.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Not just here in Sierra Leone but all over the world.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Please go to the website.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11That's where you can donate.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14If you don't have access to the Internet, then call.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Telephone calls are free from most landlines but some networks
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and mobile operators will charge for these calls.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25You can also donate £10 by texting.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Texts cost £10 plus your standard network message charge
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and the whole £10 goes to Womankind Worldwide.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Full terms and conditions can be found on the website.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Or, if you would like to post a donation,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47please make your cheque payable to Womankind Worldwide
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and send it to Freepost BBC Lifeline Appeal,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53writing Womankind Worldwide on the back of the envelope.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56And if you want the charity to claim gift aid on your donation,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59please include an e-mail or postal address
0:08:59 > 0:09:02so they can send you a gift aid form.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Thank you.