By Jerromie S. Walters
Liberia is expected to receive substantial support from UN Women as part of its ambitious global initiative aimed at transforming the care economy and reducing unpaid care work in West and Central Africa.
During a three-day multi-stakeholder policy dialogue workshop on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) held in Ganta, Nimba County, Dr. Muriel Ametoglo, UN Women’s Regional Feminist Economist, shared insights about the strategy. This initiative is designed to complement UN Women’s new global Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy.
“Our regional office for West and Central Africa has developed a new care strategy to assist countries in reforming their care systems,” Ametoglo explained. The strategy focuses on three core objectives: recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care work to promote gender equity and stimulate economic growth.
Ametoglo emphasized the importance of this approach, stating, “We aim to advocate for paid care work, ensure its representation in national economies, and create a compelling economic case for the care sector that resonates with policymakers and stakeholders.”
Liberia’s participation in this care strategy will foster enhanced collaboration among local partners, the private sector, and government agencies. UN Women plans to facilitate dialogue sessions that will bring stakeholders together to create tailored roadmaps and build capacity in critical areas of the care economy.
“We have tools and specific training focused on the care economy and its connections to macroeconomic policy,” Ametoglo noted. “Our objective is to co-create solutions that effectively serve women at the local level in partnership with local entities and the private sector.”
The new care strategy aims to address systemic barriers preventing women from accessing decent work and fair compensation within the care economy. It places a strong emphasis on empowering rural women and those in low-income urban areas to foster women-led entrepreneurship in the care sector and provide affordable, high-quality care services to underserved communities.
To impact 100,000 women and girls across the region by 2030, the strategy also incorporates measures to promote environmental sustainability, targeting the creation of 150 low-carbon jobs within the care economy.
“Through our programming, technical assistance, policy support, and research, we seek to enhance access to care solutions, generate low-carbon jobs, and develop legal frameworks that advance care policies,” Ametoglo outlined.
Additionally, the initiative aims to challenge cultural and social norms that place the burden of care disproportionately on women. This includes targeted measures such as positive masculinity training, financing for women-led care initiatives, and support for innovations that address local needs.
UN Women aspires for these efforts to instigate lasting changes that reduce gender-based disparities and uplift communities.
To further support Liberia, UN Women has established a Feminist Economist Task Force, which will provide specialized assistance to policymakers in integrating gender-focused economic research into decision-making processes.
“Our goal is to collaborate with stakeholders in Liberia through our country office, developing policies that benefit women in the care sector and address unpaid care work,” Ametoglo concluded.
UN Women Deputy Country Representative Yemi Falayajo underscored the vital role of the care economy in promoting gender equality and fostering national development.
“The care economy, particularly unpaid care work, is a significant barrier not only to gender equality but also to national development,” Falayajo stated. She highlighted the economic potential Liberia could unlock by investing in its care sector, adding, “We are losing substantial revenue, and we have the opportunity to gain much more through strategic engagement.”
The strategy, crafted by the UN Women’s regional office, encompasses 15 Francophone and Anglophone countries and aims to address inequalities in care work while economically empowering women through the transformation of care systems.
Liberia has been prioritized for support, which includes technical assistance and resources to enhance national care initiatives, positioning the country as a regional model for care reform.
The Dialogue
On Tuesday, Liberia’s chapter of UN Women, a United Nations entity charged with working for gender equality and the empowerment of women, led the process for the beginning of the three-day Multi-Stakeholder Policy Dialogue Workshop on Women’s Economic Empowerment in Liberia.
The event, themed “Invest in Women: Accelerating Progress for Liberia’s Future,” kickstarted Tuesday, November 12, 2024, in Gompa City, Nimba County, Liberia. The commencement of the dialogue brought together key stakeholders committed to promoting women’s economic empowerment.
Dr. Muriel Ametoglo, the Regional Feminist Economist Specialist of UN Women, outlined the four key workshop objectives: first, presenting the main areas of opportunities for women’s economic empowerment, specifically in the care economy, transition to the green and blue economies, intra-regional and continental trade (especially the AfCFTA) as well as innovative financing for women in Liberia.
The second was to provide all the tools and latest information to support advocacy and policy work in designing gender-responsive reforms and programming that benefit women in Liberia. She then mentioned the third objective as sharing experiences and good practices from other African countries while at the same time learning from good practices in Liberia.
The final workshop objective focused on all stakeholders working collectively on designing a call to action to identify priorities to advance women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development in Liberia. J Solunta Smith Jr. UN Women Africa – ONU Femmes Afrique Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection – Liberia Orange Foundation Liberia UN in Liberia Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Liberia Friends UNDP Liberia FAO Liberia Yemi Falayajo Liberia Chamber of Commerce.
The three-day dialogue ended on Thursday, November 14, 2024, with the drafting of a manifesto that seeks to heighten women’s economic empowerment.
