By Samuella Blessing Kanu

The National Vocal Person and Founding Member of Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MRWPN) in Sierra Leone, Mrs. Roseline MCarthy has stated that the Sierra Leone peace journey is in a very crucial moment.

She made the statement during the government weekly press conference organized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation at Tower Hill in Freetown.

According to her, she said the legal system in this country should be worked on as other nations are finding it difficult on how to understand Sierra Leone legal case system, particularly on hearings.

In all of this the press has been very instrumental because they sharing information about issues of national interests.

Mrs Roseline MCarthy, one of the ways as Sierra Leoneans should develop the structure of peace “we should try to transcend information to the wider public whether be it positive or negative.”

She revealed that she has trust that the media will definitely cascade positive information that will help strength peace and cohesion in the country.

Mrs. Roseline MCarthy traced back the history of Mano River women’s peace network formed in May 2000 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Adding this year the network is twenty-four years old and next year they are sure to celebrate their twenty-five years of establishment.

She said the reasons for the formation of the network is to ensure that girls and women go to  school and learn.

And later they would be able to understand protocols, laws and rights on women and girls which seek to protect them.

She said by so doing they will learn to live in a peaceful coexistence and while needing to ensure collaboration with various countries including Guinea, Liberian and sierra Leone and among others.

She said these countries have been fighting to having peace for a very long time but they haven’t succeeded as individual nations.

MaCthy said the AU and other international bodies have decided to find ways to bringing women together, with ten from each of these countries: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

She said individual representatives should mount up heavy campaign for a regional peace in the highest levels in these member states.

MaCthy said: “We the women we believe when issues of violence arise in any country, we suffer the most. So we have to support peace, and we should try to make up ways for women to get  ready and now they should start coming onboard to promote the course.”

She informed the media that they have been working in communities through their Abuja Ambassadors engaging   communities to train women on prevention management and on immigration issues.

She said they also have trained these women on the different gender laws in their countries, and on  election violence and on how they should talk to people in their communities.

She thanked the UN women and governors in Nigerian states who are their key stakeholders for making the project to move forward.

Mrs. Roseline MCarthy said women need to join hands together to ensure there is respect for democracy, respect for each other and tolerance and forgiveness shown to each other.

“We also need to make sure women societal issues are taken very seriously,” she said.