By Amos Harris
The Government of Liberia has validated a landmark assessment of gender discriminatory laws, a significant move toward eliminating legal barriers that prevent women and girls from fully exercising their rights. This comprehensive review, a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) and the Law Reform Commission (LRC), was supported by UN Women Liberia.
The two-day national workshop on August 14 brought together more than 30 institutions, including government ministries, the Legislature, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), civil society organizations, and traditional leaders. The review examined Liberian constitutional, statutory, and customary laws, identifying provisions that directly or indirectly discriminate against women and girls. It also evaluated the country’s legal framework against international and regional commitments like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Maputo Protocol, and the Beijing Platform for Action.
“Despite our achievements, legal gaps and discriminatory provisions remain in both statutory and customary laws, thus preventing women and girls from realizing their full rights,” said Hon. Curtis V. Dorley, Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning at MGCSP. “We must work together to ensure that the principle of equality and non-discrimination is reflected in our laws.”
Cllr. Ramses T. Kumbuyah of the Law Reform Commission emphasized that the review’s participatory approach ensures that new laws will reflect the realities of the people. Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, President of the Liberia National Bar Association, pledged the LNBA’s commitment to implementing the recommendations, stating that engagement with the Legislature will be “critical” in enacting the necessary reforms.
The assessment’s findings reveal that Liberia’s legal framework still contains provisions that undermine women’s rights, particularly in matters of marriage, inheritance, and property. Discriminatory gaps were identified in 14 of the 19 laws reviewed. Among the most pressing concerns are constitutional restrictions on citizenship based on race, a lack of explicit protection against marital rape, allowances for child marriage, and the absence of enforceable measures to increase women’s political participation.
Ms. Yemi Falayajo, UN Women Liberia’s Deputy Representative, praised the validation as a milestone, noting that the assessment provides an evidence-based foundation and a clear path to align Liberia’s laws with its constitutional principles and international commitments. UN Women has pledged to continue supporting multi-stakeholder engagements to advance these gender-sensitive legal reforms. This validation workshop, which followed consultations in several counties, consolidates fragmented reform efforts into a single roadmap for advancing gender equality in Liberia’s legal system.
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