…Convene National Preparatory Section for the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, ignited Liberia National Preparatory Session for the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.
The top-line objective of the Ministerial Conference is to shift the profile and prioritization of ending violence against children, demonstrating that prevention is possible and generating new commitments to accelerate progress through 2030.
Garmai S. Tokpah, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection at the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), has intimated the urgent need to safeguard Liberia’s most vulnerable citizens, its children.
She emphasized that with a staggering 43% of the population under the age of 15 and 63% under 25, Liberia’s demographic profile is a reminder of the nation’s duty to protect and nurture its young people, enabling them to lead the country toward a brighter future.
However, minister Tokpah warns of a severe and ongoing challenge: “Many children remain entangled in a cycle of violence, poverty, and deprivation. Alarming levels of violence, particularly against girls, jeopardize their well-being and hinder their ability to fully participate in society.”
The Minister highlighted that addressing this crisis demands urgent attention. “This crisis requires robust government budgets and sustained commitment to improve the safety and welfare of children across the nation.”
Despite these challenges, Minister Tokpah expressed optimism: “Research and evidence show that violence against children can be prevented through targeted strategies and comprehensive, evidence-based programming. The upcoming 1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children in Bogotá, Colombia, offers Liberia a unique opportunity to join a global movement dedicated to this cause. The conference will serve as a platform for sharing lessons learned, scaling proven strategies, and renewing global commitments to protect children.”
According to Minister Tokpah, in preparation for this crucial international event, the National Preparatory Session in Liberia aims to achieve three main goals:
Capture the National VAC Story: Liberia’s progress and priorities in ending violence against children will be carefully considered and documented. We will seek consensus on the key areas requiring focus, with evidence-based strategies to drive meaningful change.
Enhance National Commitment: Together, stakeholders will develop a transformative commitment to end violence against children. This will be Liberia’s collective message at the Ministerial Conference, showcasing our determination to address this critical issue head-on.
Introduce and Socialize the “Pathfinder 2.0” Initiative: The session will introduce and promote the “Pathfinder 2.0” initiative, a member State-led collective aimed at fostering international collaboration and accelerating progress in ending violence against children.
She stressed that identifying a national success story for presentation at the Ministerial Conference will demonstrate that prevention is possible. Additionally, they will explore Liberia’s readiness to partner with other Pathfinder governments in a shared commitment to end violence against children.
In conclusion, Minister Tokpah acknowledges the magnitude of the challenges ahead but highlights the potential. “By uniting, sharing experiences, and renewing our dedication to the cause, we can make a transformative impact on the lives of our children, “urged the participants.
“Let us seize this moment to strengthen our resolve, ensuring that every child is free from violence and able to reach their full potential.”
Minister Tokpah also extends her gratitude to UNICEF, WHO, and the Ministry of Health for their unwavering dedication and commitment to the vital mission.
Providing an overview of the situation of Liberian Children, Victoria W. Zaway intimated that children under the age of 15 make up 43 percent of its population, while 63 percent is under 25.
And stated that the statistics give the country a great task to protect its young people from harm while giving them the space and opportunity to develop and lead the country forward.
She stated that most of Liberia’s children are trapped in a cycle of violence, poverty, and deprivation, and experience violence.
She said, violence against children, especially girls, is rampant, including rape, abuse, harassment, and exploitation.
He recorded that in 2015, 89 percent of reported rape survivors were children, with 39 percent 12 years or younger.
“Sexual harassment in schools in the form of ‘sex for grades’ and ‘sex for school feed’ is common. Violent discipline is also a widely accepted practice, while at least 31 percent of children (2-14 years old) were engaged in some form of labor.
Harmful cultural and traditional practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), are among the worst forms of violence practiced against children in Liberia.” Ms. Victoria W. Zaway stated in an overview
The overview of the situation of Liberian children asserted that when vulnerable children and adolescents come into conflict with the law, they are often exposed to even more violence and distress.
It further asserted that there is overwhelming evidence of how violence negatively affects the well-being of diverse children and prevents them from fully participating in society.
In furtherance, it added that challenges to addressing violence against children remain the inadequate levels of investment and insufficient political will for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against children.
Therefore, urged that Government budgets be an important source for investments that will improve the sustainability of efforts and advance the implementation of existing and renewed commitments to end violence against children.
“One of the challenges to addressing violence against children remains the inadequate levels of investment and insufficient political will for preventing and responding to all forms of violence against children in their diversity.
Government budgets are particularly important sources for these investments, which can improve the sustainability of efforts and advance the implementation of existing and renewed commitments made by Liberia.”
However, the overview recognized that significant gaps remain in monitoring progress in government allocations against ending violence against children’s commitments nationwide.
At the same time, asserted that there is growing evidence that violence against children can be prevented with adequate investments in evidence-based strategies for prevention as part of comprehensive programming on EVAC.
Meanwhile, Andrew Brooks, Representative of the UNICEF Country Office, revealed that UNICEF will send a delegation to Colombia for the inaugural Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children.
“This will address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.2, focusing on violence against both girls and boys,” Brooks stated.
He expressed concern about Liberia’s struggle with accurate data collection, noting that, apart from specific areas like sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), child marriage, and child labor, the available data is limited. “In my view, the official data we have underrepresents the true scale of the problem,” he emphasized.
Brooks described Liberia’s participation in the international conference as a significant opportunity to highlight the issue of violence within the country. He commended the Government of Liberia, particularly the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, for convening the meeting. He also stressed the importance of involving other ministries, such as Education, Health, and Justice, as addressing violence requires a collaborative, multi-sectorial approach.
“There is no single-sector solution to violence; it requires teamwork in both prevention and response efforts,” Brooks explained.
UNICEF, as part of its mandate, is fully committed to supporting Liberia’s efforts, working in alignment with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights treaties.
“We have strong legislative backing for our mandate, especially in child protection, which involves building a national child protection system. This means helping the government implement policies, laws, and services, and ensuring the availability of human resources like social workers to prevent and respond to various forms of child vulnerability,” Brooks concluded.
