-Detail their plethora of challenges to WV
By: SHALLON S. GONLOR
NIMBA COUNTY — Liberian citizens experienced critical challenges regarding land issues, with rural women, in particular, having limited access to finances and land ownership. Representing the voices of rural women in Nimba County, Annie W. Kruah disclosed that rural women’s structure in the county faces a plethora of challenges in accessing financial services and owning land.
“Despite a constitution that promotes human and women’s rights, rural women across Liberia’s 15 political subdivisions face numerous forms of oppression. Rural women are key role players in and custodians of food security at the household level globally. They fulfilled the roles of food producers, consumers, and family food managers,” the rural women’s head stated. However, Madam Annie W. Kruah observed that rural women across Liberia, particularly Nimba County, still face numerous challenges, such as limited access to ownership of land, cultural and traditional stigmatization, a lack of access to support networking, and, most importantly, limited access to financial backing.
“Rural women accessing loan, collateral and interest rate hampered the progress in food production.”
Speaking recently, the rural women’s head outlined progress, emphasizing challenges in several areas, including food production, property inheritance, land rights and security, gender discrimination, economic empowerment, and financial inclusion. She, however, noted that there have been uneven results in the county and thematic areas. “Crucial gender gaps in extreme poverty, food insecurity, and rural women’s education, to name a few, have risen in recent times.” She underscored the need for increased action and investment to accelerate implementation.
According to her, rural women are the backbone of their communities, working the land, caring for families, and playing a crucial role in ensuring food security and protecting biodiversity. Despite their importance, Madam Kruah said rural women face significant barriers to accessing resources and education, which hinder their ability to reach their full potential. “Discriminatory practices, limited land ownership rights, and the burden of unpaid care work further exacerbate these challenges.”
Demonstrated over the years, Madam Kruah is heading a group of rural women under the name ‘Gbehlay-Geh Rural Women Multipurpose Corporative’ in large-scale rice production to enhance food security in her county, Nimba, and Liberia at large. She further noted that the corporative is a combination of rural women farmers, especially single mothers struggling to reduce poverty and produce the country’s own locally made staple food, rice.
Meanwhile, Madam Kruah is soliciting support in helping rural women overcome these obstacles by improving access to farming tools, land acquisition, knowledge, and opportunities to support them in building lives that reflect their aspirations. “I am asking and calling for support to help rural women overcome these obstacles by improving their access to farming tools, land acquisition, knowledge, and opportunities to support in building lives that reflect our aspirations,” Madam Annie Kruah said.
She highlighted the lack of financial capital and financial inclusion are significant constraints to women’s entrepreneurial activities and engagement all along the food system and value chains, from investment in land to agrifood businesses. She said that constraints to women’s access to financial services such as credit and insurance are often based on restricted access to assets, including land and property, that could be used as collateral for loans, hampering the availability of appropriate loan products for women-led micro, small, medium businesses and smallholders.
At the same time, fair and equitable access to financial services is a prerequisite for overall societal economic security and prosperity, according to Madam Annie Kruah. With the women farmers’ challenges, Madam Kruah’s call highlighted and galvanized support action for the empowerment of women farmers in Nimba County, stating that nearly half of rural women in the county are facing obstacles in accessing land, finances, and education.
In conclusion, she wants the government, through the Nimba County Administration and the Liberia Land Authority in the county, to intervene and support rural women’s cause to effect huge food production. “Women need land, modern tools, and equipment so that they can work,” said Annie W. Kruah, coordinator of rural women in Nimba County.
“They need encouragement so that they can advance, so they can get involved in the sustainable development process,” Annie said. While the call fostered reflection on rural women’s economic contributions, she was focused on something far more serious: how to reverse the decline of the rural economy in a way that contributes to sustainable development.
“Nothing can be done without women, so we cannot think about the development of the country without the participation and integration of women,” said Madam Kruah. “We cannot aim for economic progress and sustainable development overnight; it is a whole process that requires sufficient resources and means.” While rural women worldwide are increasingly recognized for their essential contributions to agricultural development and sustainability, in Liberia, the picture is starkly different.
Liberia’s rural women, though vital to the nation’s agricultural sector, continue to work within an outdated system, relying on elementary tools like machetes and hoes. Though deeply committed to their work, the lack of state investment in mechanization and infrastructure that could help them play a bigger role in Liberia’s economic recovery continues to be re-echoed in local voices and public gatherings revolving around progress.
In Nimba County, the crowd of rural women have spent their lives growing crops and managing small businesses, a key role rural women play in Liberia’s agricultural sector. Historically, women in rural Liberia have worked behind their men in farming, but their involvement goes far beyond that. They are heavily engaged in the trade of produce and the resale of goods, forming the backbone of Liberia’s rural economy.
