Husbands, not strangers or men with guns, are now the biggest threat to women in post-conflict
West Africa.

According to a report by the International Rescue Committee, based on data collected over 10 years, domestic violence is proved to be the "most urgent, pervasive and significant protection issue for women in
West Africa".

It calls on the international community to recognise domestic violence as a humanitarian issue and to increase funding significantly to address the problem, saying: "If the humanitarian community ignores what has been considered a ‘private matter’, it will fail to confront one of the most significant public health crises and primary obstacles to women’s empowerment in post-war societies."

In 2007

Sierra Leone passed a domestic violence act. This established basic rights for women in the home and entitlements for survivors such as free medical care. Domestic violence is now punishable by a fine of up to 5m

leones (£720) and up to two years in prison. But by the end of 2010, only one person had been prosecuted. Amnesty International, who carried out research on

Sierra Leone last year said: "Women’s lack of access to the police, exorbitant fees charged by medical officers and pressure to make out-of-court settlements all contributed to impunity and state inaction."

In

Ivory Coast and

Liberia, no such laws exist. In

Liberia,
Africa‘s first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, amended the penal code to make rape illegal – previously only gang rape was a crime. In 2008, the government established a special court to try cases of sexual violence, but since it opened in 2009, only 18 cases of rape have been tried there, resulting in a 10 convictions. A worryingly depressing number.

Ivory Coast adopted a three-year action plan in 2010 targeting violence against women and girls.

Liberia and

Sierra Leone also have gender-based violence plans of action but the report calls for donors, UN agencies and NGOs to increase funding to help the governments enforce these policies. It applauds the advances made in protecting women and girls but said specialised services such as safe houses, hotlines and support groups are needed, claiming a focus on prevention is not enough.

It calls on the Liberian and Ivorian governments to introduce a law, like there is in

Sierra Leone, to prosecute people for domestic violence. The law must be prepared to stand behind these women. Women also want training to up their skills. One woman Ma Nessie, an elder from

Liberia said: "The men are taking advantage of us because we are not doing anything … I want the skill for business, then I will survive."

Soroptimist International is working to increase education and training for women and girls and pushes governments to put strong laws behind domestic violence. In the build up the the Commission of the Status of Women in March, and the recent tragedies of gender violence in India and Pakistan that have achieved major media coverage, gender violence is at the forefront of human rights debates. Women and girls are rising up.

Click here for further information on domestic violence in West Africa.

Find out more about SI’s global day of action on International Women’s Day: Enough is Enough – End Violence Against Women & Girls.