By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the African Women Leadership Network, Liberia chapter, held a strategic women’s meeting meant to provide guidance for young women to enable them to overcome political, social, and economic barriers.
The meeting, which was held at Musu Spot in Congo Town, also brought together young women and prominent women from diverse backgrounds to create awareness against violence against women in leadership, as well as an understanding of women’s transformational leadership, and expand its membership through networking with other women’s organizations.
Giving an overview of the network, former education minister Dr. D. Evelyn S. Kandakai revealed that AWLN Liberia aims to design and implement partnerships and strategies that enable women in Liberia to fully exercise their right to participate in leadership.
Dr. Kandakai revealed that the network seeks to ensure women’s representation in social, economic, and political life through training and mentoring of young women by having young women and girls integrated into all programs that prepare them for leadership roles and for a greater impact on sustainable development in Liberia.
During the presentation, Atty. Falcia B. Harris provided that AWIN also seeks to combat violence against women in elections and any act that targets women candidates, voters, activists, or political participation.
Atty. Harris added that any act that suppresses women’s political participation and leadership is anti-democratic and undermines democracy, equality, and the principle of free and fair elections.
She asserted that in Liberia, women face various forms of violence, including physical assaults, threats, and discrimination, because of the perception that women should not be in leadership positions. something that she believes undermines democracy.
At the same time, Liberia’s former foreign minister, Ambassador Marjon Kamara, added that the African Women Leadership Network Liberia chapter was founded in December 2019 to build and bust women’s transformational leadership skills and practices.
Ambassador Kamara added that the network also provides a transformation of discriminatory norms, values, practices, and public perception in support of women’s leadership by increasing access to resources for women leaders and their organizations or businesses.
And as well as influencing the reform and implementation of the formal institutional process, policies for women’s leadership
In furtherance, Ambassador Kamara added that AWLN Liberia is currently decentralized as a semi-nationwide women’s network, networking with other women’s organizations across the country, mainly WANGOSO.
She concluded that the network will work with the national elections commission to provide civic voter education and election awareness.
The African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) is a continental women’s organization that consists of a vibrant network of accomplished women leaders with outstanding trails in the political, business, academia, science, community, and general leadership arenas, as well as a pool of accomplished, talented, innovative young leaders and professionals with notable achievements, striving to reach their leadership potential and be impactful.
