Report by Mae Azango, [email protected]
Monrovia – There are reports that a Lebanese-owned business — SAJJ Restaurant — on 18th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia on last Friday night denied three Liberian women entry into their entertainment center on grounds of not going with male partners.
This humiliation was posted on social media by Satta Wahab, one of the young ladies, who were denied entry.
According to her, she and her two friends, who are owners of businesses, went out Friday night for a drink and decided to start with SAJJ before going on their date.
She accused SAJJ proprietors of being racists.
Ms. Wahab stated they felt that the denial of ‘single ladies’ from entering applied to everyone of all races; but to their outmost surprise, they saw a single white lady passed by them and entered without being stopped by any the same security guards who had stopped them earlier.
“So my friends and I decided to hangout; we were to meet our male friends at SAJJ. When we got at the entrance, the security guard said we are not allowed to enter because we are single ladies after the female security had searched Shari’s handbag. Shari is a Mechanical Engineer; I am a CEO of a natural hair care company in Liberia and Letitia owns a natural hair salon. When our male friends came out they decided to have a conversation with the security about their nonsense policy that single women can’t enter. Just as they were going back and forth, a single white lady passed and she was allowed to enter. And our friends went off on them because it so humiliating for us. I decided to do a post on Facebook interesting we were not the only single ‘BLACK’ females that were denied entry to the bar,” said Satta Wahab.
Another victim, Ms. Elizabeth Horton, explained similar experience how she was also prevented from entering SAJJ.
“I was supposed to be going out with some of my male friends, but decided to go ahead of them. I was stopped by the security and when I asked why, they told me I was not to enter without a man, but the boys came and escort me in. I even saw other girls looking for men to escort them in. I was shocked and so confused to know that something like this will be going on in Liberia. I think it should stop because they cannot continue to treat women in such manner. What if I am a successful businesswoman and decide to go for a drink, why do I have to go along with a man before entering? Why look down on me as if I am a prostitute? asked Ms. Horton.
“I think the government should intervene because this is not right, why should foreigners come into our country and discriminate against women? This has been going on for a long time because this happened to me about 15 months ago,” she added.
The restaurant has come under several criticisms by Liberians, including O human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe.
“Is this for real? Tell me this is not happening in Liberia for a woman to be denied entry to any place without being escorted by a man. It is a violation of Article 11 of our Constitution and all international treaties that Liberia is signatory to. It is discrimination and against all protocols. Mainly the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discriminations against Women (CEDAW) and Liberia is a signatory to that treaty, so if Sajj did that, they were very wrong,” said Cllr. Gongloe.
The management of the Sajj later posted an apology to Facebook saying, “We have read with some discomfort news currently circulating on the Facebook media of an unfair treatment meted out to some of our customers by our security personnel.
The doctrine of Respondent Superior dictates that we accept Responsibility of what happened on that fateful Friday night therefore; we the Management of Sajj House Restaurant say we are sorry to all of our customers who have experienced this act at one point or the other.
Sajj never had and will never have any sexist or racial policy or restrictions at our entrance. New measures have been put in place to regulate, and control crowd to ensure customers’ safety and comfort.
To Satta Wahab, Letitia Gibson, Shari L.O. Raji and all other female customers that has experienced this in the past; we sincerely apologize for the embarrassment that you had to endure at our entrance. Management will do everything within its powers to avoid this incident from happening henceforth to other customers.”
However, SAJJ’s legal advisor, Attorney Preston Chea Doe, told this newspaper that SAJJ management had instituted such regulation because prostitutes were entering and stealing money and mobile phones from customers and even fighting over men. So, management did that to restrict prostitutes.”
According to him the security overstepped their limit on that particular day in spite of them having the mandate to stop single black ladies from entering.
On why the policy is not applied to men, “The mandate is not applied to men because men can control themselves; but the prostitutes will go to the extent of fighting for a man and even break bottles in the process.”
Meanwhile, the three women and other victims of SAJJ alleged mistreatment have drafted a petition statement calling on all others, especially women, to boycott SAJJ House Restaurant.
Petition
Boycott Sajj House Restaurant
For over a year or more now, Sajj House Restaurant in Sinkor Monrovia, a Lebanese owned establishment has persistently banned ‘single ladies’ unaccompanied by men from entering their Restaurant.
Recent complaints highlight that the sexist policy is in fact enforced only on single-black females. White women have been allegedly seen entering the premise of the Restaurant without the hassle given to their black counterparts.
According to an official statement from Sajj House Restaurant management on May 7th, 2018, published on their Facebook page, they denied having such policy, but mentioned that measures are in place to regulate, and control crowd to ensure customers’ safety and comfort.
Legally, they can regulate crowd control due to space limitations but should not be based on race, gender or any discriminatory reasons.
Meanwhile, security guards of the establishment have openly told clients being refused entry that the refusal is due to the influx of prostitutes who bother their male customers.
Sajj denies such policy existed. In so doing, they are discounting the experiences of tons of Liberian women as shared over the years.
We (Liberian women and men against Sajj racist and sexist policy) campaign for a BOYCOTT of Sajj House Restaurant until the following demands are met:
An official public apology for the discrimination against Liberian women
An official announcement (through print and radio media & posted on their premise) accounting that the current discriminatory policy against women is abolished
An official announcement, ensuring and indicating the new measures that will replace the current disruptive policy
Please sign this petition to join the cause against discrimination and gender profiling.
We must ensure the respect of fundamental liberties and human rights.