Monrovia, Liberia; October 5, 2026: As momentum builds around Liberia's electoral reform process, civil society organizations are strengthening their collective voice to help ensure that the country’s next electoral framework delivers greater inclusion, stronger representation, and more meaningful participation for women and other underrepresented groups.
Representatives of women’s rights organizations, civil society organizations, the National Elections Commission (NEC), UNDP, UN Women and the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division gathered at One UN House on Thursday, 1 October 2026, for a one-day Civil Society Workshop on Electoral Reform, Temporary Special Measures, and Advocacy Planning.
The workshop was designed to equip participants with updated information on the electoral reform process while supporting the development of a coordinated advocacy strategy ahead of legislative deliberations.
The engagement was implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP, the UN Electoral Assistance Division, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy and the National Elections Commission under the Liberia Electoral Support Project, with support from the European Union, Irish Aid and Sweden.
A key goal of the project is to enhance the participation of women and the inclusion of marginalized groups, including youth, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in political processes.
Opening the workshop, Katherine Green, Chief Technical Advisor of the Liberia Electoral Support Project, reaffirmed the United Nations' support for equality principles of international commitments reflected in Liberia’s Constitution and stressed that the responsibility for determining the country’s reform pathway rests with Liberians.
She reflected on the outcomes of the October 2025 advocacy workshop, where participants concluded that progress toward increasing women’s representation would require stronger coordination among civil society organizations.
Advocacy is stronger when different actors speak together with one voice, she noted, encouraging participants to translate previous discussions into concrete advocacy actions as the electoral reform process advances.
With the Legislature expected to prioritize electoral reform upon returning from recess, Green emphasized that now is the time for stakeholders to engage constructively in shaping reforms that strengthen Liberia's democratic architecture ahead of the 2029 elections.
UN Women Liberia Programme Specialist Tsega Gebremeskel reminded participants that the workshop was a direct response to requests made by civil society during last year’s engagement.
Today’s meeting is one way of following up on our promises, she said. Rather than revisiting familiar challenges, Tsega encouraged participants to focus on developing an advocacy plan capable of influencing ongoing electoral reform discussions.
The challenge is already known. Today is about identifying the next actions and agreeing on a concrete advocacy plan, she said.
Emphasizing the critical role of civil society, she encouraged organizations to continue bringing the voices of women, youth and persons with disabilities into national policy discussions and legislative processes.
Providing an update on the electoral reform process, Samuel Cole, Deputy Executive Director for External Relations at the National Elections Commission, outlined progress made by the Commission following lessons learned from the 2023 General Elections.
He noted that the NEC has completed nationwide consultations, incorporated recommendations from domestic stakeholders and international election observation missions and finalized a package of reform proposals for legislative consideration.
Mr. Cole urged civil society organizations to engage early in the process, emphasizing that reforms must be legally adopted, operationally feasible, adequately funded and publicly understood well before the 2029 elections. The sooner we act, the better, he said.
Participants reviewed the status of electoral reform, examined findings from a gender and inclusion analysis of Liberia’s electoral laws, explored international experiences with temporary special measures, and worked in groups to develop advocacy priorities, identify key decision-makers, and agree on next steps for coordinated engagement.
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen collaboration among civil society organizations and sustain evidence-based advocacy as Liberia advances reforms aimed at building a more inclusive, representative and accountable democratic system.
By bringing together technical expertise, national institutions and civil society voices, the engagement reinforced a central message that “inclusive electoral reform is strongest when it is informed by dialogue, grounded in national ownership, and driven by a shared commitment to ensure that every Liberian has an equal opportunity to participate in shaping the country’s democratic future”.
The Liberia Electoral Support Project supports national institutions and processes to promote inclusive and accountable democracy in Liberia.
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