An Expat, the City, and Safety

“But it’s not safe there! Is it? Please be careful”

The most consistent reaction I get when I mention my stay in Freetown is concern for my safety.

Most people associate Salone with its violent history of conflict, child soldiers, and sex slaves. Although the war ended 2 decades ago, the image of blood diamonds and ruthless soldiers persist in public perception, leading many to look at me with unease on hearing about my summer plans.

If not a country in turmoil, the other image is one of abject poverty, deprivation, and corrupt leaders. Poverty is seen as a proxy for a country overrun with crime leading others to advise me to cling on to my belongings, always being wary of any thieves who might be lurking around.

A quick check on the travel advisory pages for the US, UK, Australia, and other countries reveals similar misgivings. The websites warn travellers to exercise high caution in Sierra Leone, categorizing it as a high crime nation.

Do I then feel safe in Freetown?

3 weeks into my stay here and I can say with complete confidence that yes, I do. I walk on the streets, squeeze into kekes with other passengers, walk up and down the hill (it’s what I’ve taken to calling the “road” from Wilkinson Road to my apartment) at all hours, and hail taxis to go back home at night. I talk to strangers on the roads, agree to be friends with people who stop to say hi, and argue with keke drivers who try to rip me off. I walk with my phone in my hand, leave my Kindle on the deck chair, and rarely worry about my laptop lying on my desk. All those people who implored me to please be careful would be horrified to see how little care I take.

My other expat female friends have similar stories. We were all warned about the dangers of being women in Sierra Leone, but apart from the constant stream of mildly annoying hellos that follow us around the streets, we are all surprised by the ease with which we can traverse the city.

The "Hill" to our Apartment

Our First Keke Ride

Moyiba, Informal Settlement

Left: The "hill" up to our apartment; Center: Our first keke ride; Right: Moyiba informal settlement

So yes, Freetown is safe. For me.

But I can’t say the same for the 600,000 or so Sierra Leonean women and girls who call this city home. The data paints a dismal picture of the violence they must endure in their daily lives. 67.6% of women in Freetown have experienced some form of physical violence. The crumbling city infrastructure, scarcity of essential resources, and unequal power dynamics often subject women and girls to unsafe situations. The problem is only compounded by the missing streetlights, missing public toilets, and missing women in public spaces. These play out in everyday activities such as securing water, which become fraught with danger when the resource is limited and access to it is controlled by men.

If the outside is not safe, the walls of their homes provide little reprieve. It starts at a young age with girls being forcefully circumcised. Explained away as a tradition, 73.5% of women in Freetown report female genital cutting. As they grow older, child marriages and sexual assault become rampant. 11% of teenagers (15 to 19 years old) in the city have begun childbearing, the sight of children taking care of other children is visible across Freetown. Domestic and sexual violence become a part of many of their home lives. Of all women who report experiencing it, an overwhelming 69.2% attribute it to their current or former husbands.

My expat status allows me to experience Freetown very differently from its native citizens. It enables me to circumvent the many dangers that women in this city face. It means that I can afford a comfortable apartment, access running water, and pay for transportation, luxuries that place me one step up on the safety ladder. It ensures my safety by exempting me from the most vicious cycles of violence that many Freetonian women must endure, those within their very homes. Being an expat means I don’t always have to be so careful.

So, is Freetown actually safe? For expats like me, yes. For many Sierra Leonean women however, the data suggests otherwise.

Note: All data taken from the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation