4. EXPERTS VISIT WOMEN IN MANO RIVER COUNTRIES
Independent experts Elisabeth Rehn and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf traveled to the Mano River countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia as part of a global assessment on the impact of armed conflict on women and women’s role in peace building, sponsored by UNIFEM. Ms. Rehn is the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ms. Johnson Sirleaf is a former member of the Organization of African Unity Panel of Eminent Persons to investigate the genocide in Rwanda.

During their visit to the Mano River countries from 21-26 January, experts met with women living in camps for refugees and internally displaced peoples, representatives of human rights and women's organizations and high-level government officials, including the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. They specifically addressed issues of displacement, sexual violence, exploitation of women, unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, orphans and widowhood. The findings of the experts will be published in a global report scheduled for release in July 2002.

A press release is available on the UNIFEM website at www.unifem.undp.org or contact Aina Iiyambo at [email protected] for more information.