-As it endeavors to reduce electoral violence.
On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women Empowerment, Leadership Development, International peace and Security (ABIC), will officially launch the Women Situation Room (WSR), in an endeavor to reduce cases of violence in the pending October 10, 2023, legislative and presidential elections.
The launch of the Women Situation Room (WSR) will be held at the Monrovia City Hall, 1st Street Sinkor, at 11:00AM.
The WSR is a real-time and progressive process that works with communities in advocating, mediating and intervening in violent and tense situations during elections in countries where it’s situated.
According to WSR organizers, situations could differ in individual countries, so the concept is adaptable to suit local conditions. As a result of its demonstrated effectiveness in preventing and mitigating election-related violence in Liberia, the WSR was adopted as a best practice in Africa at the African Union Summit in January 2012.
It is established that the Women Situation Room (WSR) has over 5000 WSR elections observers in its countries of replication.
The WSR observers, who are mobilized to hotspots, have contributed to resolving reported electoral violence incidents or threats in real-time.
Several countries have established the WSR, which seeks to reduce cases of violence and sexual violence, and increase the number of women in electoral processes.
Head of the Angie Brooks International (ABIC), Liberia Chapter, Yvette Chesson-Wureh, has noted repeatedly that Electoral violence of any kind can deter citizens from voting, discourage candidates from running for office, weaken civil society’s scrutiny of elections, and hurt the legitimacy of a government and, often, women are affected by the intimidation caused by this violence.
She believes the pervasive human rights, socio-economic, health, and political inequalities that disproportionately affect women and girls impede Africa’s efforts to achieve transformative and sustainable socio-economic development.
Madam Chesson-Wureh started WSR in 2011 when former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was running for a second term.
The WSR is a women-led approach to preventing and reducing violence during electoral processes and in some countries assume a conflict management approach in the post-election period.
Several countries have established the WSR, which seeks to reduce cases of violence and sexual violence, and increase the number of women in electoral processes – either as voters, candidates, supporters or observers during elections.
It is no secret that violence during an election cycle is an all-too-frequent phenomenon in most African countries, where it may be triggered by political or ethnic tensions, or flawed electoral processes.
Elections in some African countries are often marked by violence, which ranges from low-level intimidation and harassment to more intense violent displacement and death.
Electoral violence of any kind can deter citizens from voting, discourage candidates from running for office, weaken civil society’s scrutiny of elections, and hurt the legitimacy of a government and often, women are affected by the intimidation caused by this violence.
The WSR, which is the brainchild of Liberia, has reached other African countries with the objective of promoting Peace void of political influence.
Some of the countries include Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and others. Following the 2011 elections in Liberia, the WSR format has since been successfully replicated in Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda.
In November 2019, Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh was elected Co-chair of FemWise-ECOWAS, sharing the decision-making role with Ms. Alice Goza of Togo, who represented young women of ECOWAS.
