By Eric W. Quaye, Internews Fellow |
Grand Gedeh County: As Tchnie electoral district #1 prepared for the scheduled April 23, 2024 Representative by-election, clamor for women representation in elective position continue increasing in the district election of Grand Gedeh County.
The by-election in the district was created as a result of the death of Representative Erol Madison Gwion who died from a protractive illness immediately after he got his second term victory in the 2023 general and Legislative elections.
Speaking to a group of reporters, Grand Gedeh County Marketing Association Superintendent, Madam, Etta Tweh, wants women of the county especially her marketing women to vote females contesting in the pending April 23, by-election of Tchnie district.
She therefore wants female candidates to associate themselves with other political parties and key stakeholders as it’s detrimental to stick to one party in the name of loyalty.
She encouraged her fellow women to actively work together in achieving a common goal ahead of this year’s representative by-election and called on them to continue to demand for representation in the Liberian Legislature and local appointments.
“We will not relent in our efforts; we have started our community engagement telling the voters that we are capable of carrying on developments when a woman is elected in this district. We are not ashamed to tell the citizens that we can be like the men too” Marketing Association superintendent of Grand Gedeh, Etta Tweh asserted.
Since the creation of the county in 1964, only one female has been elected as a lawmaker while one was appointed as Assistant Superintendent of the county. Hon. Marie Johnson was elected as a lawmaker of District #2 into the 55th national legislature, while the other was appointed as Assistant Superintendent for development by former president George Weah in 2018.
This, Madam Amelia Beh, one of the candidates contesting in the current by-election said its unfair “look, this is completely unacceptable and unfair on our part as women of Grand Gedeh, so it is about time now to stand up and elect us so that we can be at least two women representation out of the five lawmakers of Grand Gedeh for the first time and we can make that history”.
“Hon. Marie Johnson, Representative of electoral district 2, Grand Gedeh is not enough to speak and represent the entire women of Grand Gedeh alone for decision making. The men will always overpower her because she’s alone, so this means that we women and other partners have to join enforces for the implementation of the 30% increment in political participation. The law is there but not effective”. Candidate, Amelia Beh alleged. She however urged her fellow women not to be exhausted until inclusive governance is achieved in Grand Gedeh especially in elective positions.
Meanwhile, Aaron Siafa Weah, head of Liberia Motorcycles Transport Union, Grand Gedeh chapter also added his voice to many voices by calling on all critical stakeholders especially the media to always discuss inclusive political participation, while he emphasized that a truly democratic practice anywhere in the world is founded on women’s active involvement in governance.
Mr. Weah encouraged women to get in the race of every election that they will one day be a success.
For her part, the Secretary General of the Rural Women of Grand Gedeh Chapter, Mrs. Lucy Johnson, said Liberia like many democracies, faces the challenge of identifying and implementing strategies for leveling the numbers of women in national governance and decision-making capacities.
Entrenched traditional norms, cultural practices, limited education of women and institutional frameworks have hindered gender equality in Liberian politics.
She said attempts by the global community to mitigate these inequities have been widely ineffective.
She added that Liberia ranks 90th in the world in female representation in parliament, with only 13.5 percent.
One of the bills, the affirmative action bill seeks to amend section 223 of the Constitution, to ensure women occupy at least 35 percent in appointive positions.
The rural women secretary of Grand Gedeh has urged female candidates contesting in the April 23 by-election to leverage their social circles and recognise opportunities, as fund raising is not just about election but networking, which is key in ensuring success of a female candidate.
Meanwhile, Liberia Transformation Party (LTP) County deputy chair for women’s administration Ben Butty said women are the fulcrums around which social, economic, and more importantly political activities of a nation rotate.
He added that women themselves need to do more in political participation to ensure accomplishment of common goal that will also bring about free, fair, inclusive, credible and acceptable general elections.
“In recognition of the many international conventions of women political participation in politics, the LTP is ensuring that women rights to free and fair participation in the electoral process is protected, secured and preserved”.
“It is imperative that we embark on efforts that will promote and protect women’s interests, security, and create a violence-free atmosphere for massive participation in the election to entrench the culture of inclusive and participatory democracy that meets the minimum requirements of fairness and credibility.” Grand Gedeh County LTP deputy chair for administration concluded.
At the same time, a female presenter of Smile community radio identified the media as a critical partner for female politicians to continually engage with. She urged them seek platforms that would project and help them connect with people in their constituencies.
Journalist Janet Warner tasked aspirants to regularly engage the media on topical issues, as it is essential in creating an image to the people they want to represent. Smile radio broadcast Journalist advised candidates on regular engagement with women at grassroots, to partner with women in the media and ensure that they remain relevant in the media space.
For her part, Madam Fatumata Barry a Marketeer at the Zwedru Center market, expresses happiness over the efforts being applied by the women of Tchien District in overcoming the challenges and identifying as well as implementing strategies for equal numbers of women in national governance and decision-making.
She added that women’s rights to free and fair participation in the electoral process bring improvement and development in the county.
In addition, Mrs. Patience Collins – a local trader in Zwedru who spoke with newsmen said women political participation in decision making is key and must be achieved nationally and locally.
Mrs. Collins said, women are also breadwinners and the backbones of their various homes, thus need a chance to also occupy leadership roles like their male counterparts. She used this medium to urge females to campaign from community to community, house to house and door to door to ensure the success of a female candidate in the upcoming Grand Gedeh County Electoral District 1 by-election scheduled April 23, 2024.
There are three female candidates vying for the electoral district 1 representative by-election against ten men. They are Madam Amelia Poledee Beh, Watchen Ophelia Boley and Jeziah M. Quiyea.
Grand Gedeh County has 78 Voter Registration Centers within 3 electoral districts.
However, the results showed little over 63,000. Of the over 63,000 37% made up of women in the county who have gone to registered to vote from the 2023 BVR in Grand Gedeh County.
Of that number, Tchnie electoral district 1 had registered a total of 20,407 eligible voters according to the National Elections Commission website.
It can be recalled that, Political Parties of Liberia (PPL) and National Elections Commission (NEC) on May 11, 2023 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) base on Section 4.5 of the Elections Law, of Liberia which governs the nomination of candidates for elective and appointive positions in the upcoming elections.
Days after signing the MoU, the United Nations in Liberia, through the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) commended Political Parties and National Elections Commission for such progress made thus far.
The partners described the agreement as significant milestone towards greater inclusion of women in elections as it strengthens the commitment of political parties to ensuring not less than 30 percent of women on their candidate listing.
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