BY: Shallon S.Gonlor
SANNIQUELLIE, NIMBA CO. — The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has pledged a “zero-tolerance” approach as a strategy to tackle gender-based violence against women and children in the country.
This was disclosed by Deputy Gender Minister for Administration, Atty. Laura Golakeh on Thursday, May 6, 2024, in an exclusive radio interview when she appeared on Radio Nimba, a local radio station in Sanniquellie City.
Minister Golakeh said the ministry’s zero-tolerance policy encompasses an end-to-end efforts, starting from prevention to rehabilitation and empowerment programs for women and streets’ children.
The Deputy Gender Minister highlighted the ministry’s commitment in fostering numerous development plans to combat gender-based violence issues as part of their supporting agenda in the next 6-years.
“We will ensure that as a ministry in the next six years the issue of having children on streets selling and maybe doing some domestic works that they are not to do will be eradicated”.
She added as a gender ministry, they are committed to take every effort to ensure that vnlurable groups especially women and children are safe by preventing acts of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment through a regulatory framework and implementation of effective programmes and strategies”.
Minister Golakeh noted further that through the efforts of her immediate boss, the ministry’s holistic approach will not only be limited to taking children from the streets, but will create a room to empower them for a better future.
She further noted that sexual harassment cases most frequently involving women and children, protection for vulnerable groups: the elderly people, people with disabilities, women, and children are area they will deliver on, noting that conducting campaigns against gender-based violence will form a cogent part of the social inclusive recovery initiatives of the ministry.
Minister Golakeh also averred that as a legacy project of her immediate boss, the ministry is committed to eliminating sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in both the public service workplace and schools among others.
Minister Laura Golakeh wants stakeholders and development partners to join the Ministry to curb challenges affecting women and girls in the Country. She also praised Liberian women for their crucial role in fostering peace and democracy, assuring the public of the Ministry’s preparedness to achieve a zero-tolerance violence against women and children.
She hopes that a new proactive measures to help schools tackle gender-based violence will empower young people to be the “generation that eradicates misogyny”.
Finally, The Deputy Gender Minister, pronounced a word of encouragement and urged all members of the gender ministry, civil society, private sector, international partners and lawmakers to commit themselves to translate gender policy and strategies, so as to set the page for gender inclusiveness.
