By Jerromie S. Walters
As International Women’s Month (March) continues, the Women Non-Governmental Organizations Secretariat Of Liberia (WONGOSOL), the umbrella body of women’s NGOs in Liberia has held a formal celebration, jointly with its network members.Similar to International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, WONGOSOL, her member organizations, partners and other women venerated International Women’s Day on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at the Royal Hotel in Sinkor.
The occasion entertained a dialogue session among key government institutions, including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Health, Justice, and Internal Affairs. The platform provided an opportunity for the heads of these institutions to discuss their approaches to addressing gender issues, particularly those affecting women, girls, and children.
In her introductory comment WONGOSOL Executive Director, Madam Yeah David Yango, reassured WONGOSOL’s commitment to Working with the government to ensure that women’s agenda is prioritized.
She restropected the significance of International Women’s Day and WONGOSOL’s dedication to heightening women’s voices and working with her network groups and partners.
In her keynote speech, UN Resident Coordinator Madam Christine Omutoni emphasized that empowering women is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic investment in sustainable development and peace. She urged the audience to not only celebrate women’s achievements globally but also to recommit to advancing gender equality and women’s rights.
Madam Omutoni highlighted that women, especially the poorest and most marginalized, continue to bear the burden of unpaid care and household work, which is often undervalued. They are also more susceptible to violence, oppression, and marginalization.
She pointed out that addressing gender inequality in Liberia requires an increase in the production and utilization of gender data, capacity building for LISGIS and other government institutions, and access to quality gender data that highlights differences based on age, income, and rural-urban location. “As we celebrate the achievements of women and girls around the world, let us also recommit ourselves to the unfinished agenda of gender equality and women’s rights.
Women are still responsible for unpaid care and household work, which is undervalued. Women and girls, particularly those poorest and experiencing discrimination, are more likely to experience violence, oppression, and marginalization.”
To address gender inequality, Madam Christine Omutoni says Liberia needs to increase the production and use of gender data, strengthen the capacity of LISGIS and other government institutions, and have access to quality gender data that reveals differences across age, income, and rural-urban locality.“Liberia’s women’s rights organizations, which play a crucial role in women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence prevention, political participation, sexual and reproductive health, and rights, received only 0.13% of total official development assistance and 0.42% of grants from progressive private foundations last year. Despite their significant contributions to Liberia’s development, these organizations are not adequately funded, often operating voluntarily, which contributes to women’s unpaid work and the burden of care.
According to her, securing robust, flexible, and multi-year financing for locally-led feminist movements and women’s rights organizations is crucial to combat poverty, drive gender equality, and foster sustainable development.
Despite notable progress in recent times, the UN Liberia Resident Coordinator said women and girls still encounter numerous obstacles that impede their full engagement and contribution to society. Issues like discrimination, gender-based violence, unequal access to education and healthcare, as well as restricted economic opportunities, persist in various regions globally, including Liberia.
Nevertheless, she noted that amid these adversities, the inherent potential of women and girls to instigate positive transformations and expedite progress is acknowledged. Recognizing that investing in women equates to investing in the future of communities and nations, the focus on empowering women economically, socially, and politically is paramount. She emphasized that this empowerment not only benefits women individually but triggers far-reaching impacts that enhance families, communities, and entire societies.
Therefore, on the International Women’s Day, she rallied the women, “Let us reaffirm our commitment to invest in women and girls in Liberia and beyond. Let us prioritize initiatives that promote gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the fulfillment of women’s rights. This includes ensuring equal access to education and healthcare, eliminating gender-based violence, promoting women’s leadership and participation in decision-making processes, and creating economic opportunities that empower women to thrive and succeed.”
The UN Liberia Resident Coordinator hailed Liberian Women. “I also want to express my appreciation to all the women leaders, activists, and advocates present here today for your unwavering commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Liberia ranks 164th out of 191 nations on the Gender Disparity Index, with gender disparity pervasive in social, cultural, economic, and political spheres. Men and boys are more likely to have formal education, while girls living in rural poverty are the most disadvantaged.”
Conspicuously, Dr. Angelina Bazugba, the Dean of the National Transformational Leadership Institute, commended the strong bonds and unity displayed among Liberian women at all levels. She expressed admiration for the solidarity demonstrated across different sectors, highlighting women in uniform, the public sector, and civil society organizations coming together despite political affiliations, to advance women’s causes in leadership and decision-making.
Dr. Bazugba acknowledged the challenges faced but emphasized the importance of continued unity to progress collectively.Reflecting on the admirable initiatives in Liberia, Dr. Bazugba mentioned the impactful strategies such as the situation room and reaching women across various levels, from national to grassroots, as key learning opportunities.
She expressed eagerness to draw lessons from Liberia’s democracy advancement, considering it an advanced country in the field, while also recognizing the potential for learning from South Sudan as the region’s youngest nation. Dr. Bazugba emphasized the value of seeking wisdom from those who have progressed further, illustrating the aspiration to learn and grow in preparation for their upcoming elections.
From her end, former Gender Minister Julla Duncan Cassell signaled President Joseph Boakai’s attention to ensure the adherence of 1325, by ensuring the presence of sufficient women in the security sector. “We have DEA, we have the EPS, we have the police, and we have Immigration,” she encouraged President Boalai.
The Women Non-Governmental Organizations Secretariat Of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is a non-governmental, non- discriminatory and secular women-based organization established as an organ to coordinate the activities of women organizations in Liberia since 1998. WONGOSOL has a membership of 175 women led organizations within the 15 sub-divisions of Liberia. Our membership encompasses Community Based Organization (CBOs), Faith-Based Organizations and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on March 8th to honor and recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The global theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is “𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬” and the national theme is “Empower Her, Empower All.”
IWD is also a day to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. The day has been observed for over a century and is an opportunity to reflect on progress made, raise awareness about ongoing issues, and inspire further action towards a more inclusive and equal world for all genders.
Liberia sits sixth from the bottom of 162 countries on the Gender Inequality Index.
This discouraging report is also acknowledged by a 2022 World Bank report which shows that women are underrepresented in elective office in Liberia and among the lowest in the world.
A recent UN Women’s report shows that more women are living in poverty overall than men. It says currently, more than 10 percent of women globally are trapped in a cycle of extreme poverty, living on less than USD 2.15 a day. At the current rate of progress, as many as 342 million women (8 percent) will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030.
