By Jerromie S. Walters
Ganta, Nimba County, Liberia – At a major three-day national policy dialogue held in Ganta, diverse stakeholders from government, civil society, and international organizations gathered to address the pressing need for women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Liberia. The event culminated in a manifesto titled “A Call to Action for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Liberia,” which outlines strategic initiatives aimed at overcoming the barriers that hinder women’s full participation in the economy.
The dialogue recognized the vital contributions of women to Liberia’s economic landscape and the alignment of its objectives with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing gender equality and WEE through collaborative efforts and targeted policies.
Key Achievements and Ongoing Challenges
Participants acknowledged the progress made in promoting gender equality and WEE in Liberia, highlighting initiatives such as digital and financial inclusion, gender-responsive planning, and the development of platforms that support women entrepreneurs. However, they also addressed persistent barriers that women face, including limited access to resources, discriminatory social norms, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work.
A Demand for Change
The manifesto outlines a series of demands aimed at transforming the economic landscape for women in Liberia. These include Investing in the Care Economy: Empowering Women in Green and Blue Economies: Unlocking Trade Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs: Expanding Women’s Access to Finance: Increasing Fiscal Space for Gender Equality: and Establishment of a Roadmap Committee.
Acknowledging the importance of unpaid care work, stakeholders called for investments in quality childcare, elderly care, and comprehensive care services. They emphasized the need for supportive social protection systems and the integration of labor-saving technologies to alleviate the burden on women.
“Recognize, reduce, and redistribute the disproportionate unpaid care work by women by investing in quality, accessible and affordable childcare, elderly care, and other comprehensive care services and ensuring social protection systems that are supportive of care and gender-sensitive. Reducing women’s time on labor-intensive unpaid care work activities through labor and energy-saving technologies and equipment. Support care workers with decent work conditions, living wages, social protection, and opportunities for professional development,” the manifesto states.
The dialogue emphasized integrating gender perspectives into climate resilience policies and creating targeted opportunities for women in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and marine conservation.
“Integrate gender perspectives into all green and blue growth and climate resilience policies, ensuring that women are key beneficiaries and agents of change in the transition to a sustainable economy. Create targeted opportunities for women in green and blue sectors, such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, transportation, waste management, and marine conservation, through skills training, entrepreneurship programs, and access to green finance. Guarantee women’s meaningful participation and leadership in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, whilst recognizing their unique knowledge and experiences,” they proposed.
Stakeholders urged the implementation of inclusive trade policies that promote women’s participation in cross-border trade and regional integration, alongside capacity-building initiatives for women entrepreneurs.
The manifesto calls for equitable access to financial services and products, addressing discriminatory lending practices, and promoting the growth of women-led savings and loan associations. “Implement trade policies that actively promote women’s participation in cross-border trade, regional integration initiatives, and global value chains.
Building on the principles established by the AfCFTA, ensure that trade facilitation processes are inclusive and that women benefit from their implementation. Facilitate market access for women-owned businesses by reducing bureaucratic barriers, providing trade-related information and resources, and fostering linkages with national, continental, and international markets,” stakeholders urged.
Participants underscored the need for gender-responsive budgeting and fiscal policies that do not reinforce gender biases, advocating for investments in social infrastructure to empower women. The manifesto emphasized, “Ensure women’s equitable access to a full range of financial services, products, and instruments, including credit, savings, insurance, and digital financial tools, by addressing discriminatory lending practices and promoting financial literacy. Support the growth and sustainability of women-led Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), recognizing their crucial role in promoting financial inclusion and community development. Encourage the development of innovative financial products and services designed to meet the specific needs and circumstances of grassroots women, women entrepreneurs, and small business owners.”
A committee will be formed to develop a roadmap for localizing and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the care agenda in Liberia, ensuring active participation from women and youth.
“The delegates attending the National Multi-stakeholder’s policy dialogue in Ganta, Nimba County agreed on the following next steps as defined here: Establish a committee for drafting of a roadmap to lead women and youth participation in localizing, domestication, and leading the implementation of the AfCFTA awareness, knowledge sharing, training and mentoring of women cross border traders, and the youth and women protocol as well as the care agenda,” the manifesto notes.
Pledge for Action
The dialogue concluded with a pledge from stakeholders to create a multi-sectoral Women’s Economic Empowerment Committee. This committee will champion the implementation of the Call to Action through advocacy, policy engagement, and cross-sectoral collaboration. It will also monitor progress and hold accountable those responsible for delivering tangibles.
The manifesto states: “We pledge to create a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral Women’s Economic Empowerment Committee to: To champion the implementation of this Call to Action through sustained advocacy, policy engagement, awareness-raising campaigns, and capacity-building initiatives. To foster cross-sectoral collaboration and partnerships among government, civil society, the private sector, and development partners to create an enabling environment for WEE. To rigorously monitor progress towards the goals outlined in this Call to Action, holding accountability for delivering tangible results and driving transformative change.”
The manifesto was endorsed by:
Government of Liberia, UN Women, and various civil society and private sector representatives on November 14, 2024, in Ganta City, Nimba County, Liberia. Stakeholders believe that the successful implementation of the initiatives outlined in the manifesto could transform the economic landscape for women in Liberia, ultimately benefiting the entire nation.
