By Jerromie S. Walters
The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has successfully trained over 50 Directors, Coordinators, and Technical Staff from the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) of five government ministries as part of the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP). This initiative took place from August 22-23, 2024, at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia and aimed to bolster public institutions’ capacity to promote gender equality and empower women across Liberia.
The LWEP is a five-year program funded by the World Bank, with a budget of $44.6 million, designed to enhance the status of women in Liberia. The training brought together participants from the Ministries of Agriculture (MOA), Education (MOE), Internal Affairs (MIA), Health (MOH), and Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
Key topics covered during the training included gender mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluating project outcomes, conducting gender analyses, and understanding prevention and response mechanisms for Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Samuel Ekyinabah, Director for Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Gender, spoke on behalf of the Minister, emphasizing that achieving gender equality is a gradual process. He noted the shift in societal norms where tasks previously assigned based on gender are now being undertaken collectively, regardless of gender affiliation.
Ekyinabah encouraged participants to leverage the knowledge gained from the training to effect positive change in their communities, stating, “These are little things that matter a lot.”
Participants expressed gratitude to the Liberian government for facilitating the training. Madam Catera Woods, Director of the GSIU at the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the often-overlooked issue of attempted rape, stressing its potential to cause lasting trauma and vulnerability. She committed to mentoring others within her ministry and implementing a “trainer of trainers” initiative to educate farmers about GBV.
Madam Quitina Cooper-Davis, GSIU Director at the Ministry of Health, described the training as timely and essential for improving collaboration among GSIUs across government institutions. She called for increased public awareness regarding various forms of violence, advocating for the empowerment of women and girls to mitigate social and economic violence.
“Empowering women economically can help them become self-reliant and less vulnerable to violence,” Cooper-Davis stated, pointing out societal stigmas that diminish women’s contributions.
Madam Lorpu G. Mannah, GSIU Director at the Ministry of Education, pledged to disseminate the training insights across government high schools to combat GBV in educational settings. She urged the government to decentralize such training initiatives to all 14 political subdivisions of Liberia, ensuring broader awareness and understanding of GBV.
Mannah also recommended that the Ministry of Gender engage international partners, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to implement a Sexual Exploitation Abuse Policy aimed at safeguarding individuals of all genders.
Participants characterized the training as a substantial step towards enhancing gender awareness and promoting women’s empowerment in Liberia.
Established in 2001 by an Act of the National Legislature, the Ministry of Gender and Development amongst other things serves as a driving force of Government for the practicalization of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its related instruments including UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC); the AU Protocols on Women and Children, UNSCR 1325 on Women Peace and Security; and the Beijing Platform for Action.
The Ministry is mandated to advice Government on all matters affecting the development and welfare of women and children as well as any other matters referred to it by Government.
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