In Sierra Leone, customary systems of governance have long been recognized as feasible alternatives to justice provision, particularly as formal institutions have yet to adequately address the barriers women face in accessing justice. However, the focus has often been on the chieftaincy, an institution largely dominated by men. In this paper, Women’s Secret Societies are explored under the premise that such institutions might be better at providing access to justice for women. The paper shows that customary institutions, including Women’s Secret Societies, by embracing cultural norms and values that undermine women, cannot necessarily serve as a better alternative for women to access justice. While these societies can be important sources of power, they are constrained in terms of what they do for women given their continued association with cultural practices like female genital mutilation and the shifting norms regarding the importance of their role in Sierra Leone society. Additionally, competition between formal and informal sources of power, particularly in the domain of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), provides some limitations regarding what they can do in this arena. At the same time, given that culture is not static, the paper explores the possibility of engaging with these organizations in ways that could help complement the justice services available to women.

中文翻译：

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塞拉利昂的秘密社团和妇女诉诸司法：弥合正式和非正式的鸿沟

在塞拉利昂，习惯治理制度长期以来被认为是司法提供的可行替代方案，特别是因为正式机构尚未充分解决妇女在诉诸司法方面面临的障碍。然而，重点往往是酋长，一个主要由男性主导的机构。在本文中，女性秘密社团在此类机构可能更好地为女性提供诉诸司法的机会的前提下进行了探讨。该文件表明，包括妇女秘密社团在内的传统机构，通过接受损害妇女的文化规范和价值观，不一定能成为妇女诉诸司法的更好选择。虽然这些社会可以成为重要的权力来源，鉴于她们继续与女性生殖器切割等文化习俗联系在一起，以及关于她们在塞拉利昂社会中作用的重要性的规范不断变化，她们在为妇女做什么方面受到限制。此外，正式和非正式权力来源之间的竞争，特别是在性暴力和基于性别的暴力 (SGBV) 领域，为他们在这个领域的能力提供了一些限制。同时，鉴于文化并非一成不变，本文探讨了与这些组织合作的可能性，以帮助补充为妇女提供的司法服务。尤其是在性暴力和基于性别的暴力 (SGBV) 领域，对他们在这个领域可以做的事情提供了一些限制。同时，鉴于文化并非一成不变，本文探讨了与这些组织合作的可能性，以帮助补充为妇女提供的司法服务。尤其是在性暴力和基于性别的暴力 (SGBV) 领域，对他们在这个领域可以做的事情提供了一些限制。同时，鉴于文化并非一成不变，本文探讨了与这些组织合作的可能性，以帮助补充为妇女提供的司法服务。