One of Liberia’s leading civil society organizations, the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) has publicly highlighted a few relevant pieces of information missing in President George Manneh Weah’s recent annual address at the National Legislature.
WONGOSOL is the national umbrella of over 150 women-led organizations across the 15 sub-divisions of Liberia committed to ending violence against women and achieving gender equality in Liberia.
WONGOSOL in a statement over the weekend ask the Liberian Government to also set clear targets for women candidates and Cabinet members. An excellent opportunity for this administration is to publicly support the provision of a mandatory, enforceable 30% quota within the elections reform bill recently submitted in plenary at the House of Representatives.
According to the statement this year under review and previous years, Liberia experienced high rates of violence against women and girls, with sexual violence being highly reported. SGBV being the most underreported crime in Liberia, the true scope of this problem is almost unimaginable as reported cases represent just a fraction of the incidences.
Domestic violence, ritualistic killings, and other forms of violence were also high, given that this issue is alarming and coupled with other negative effects on the lives of survivors, WONGOSOL is concerned that the President’s Address did not clearly highlight the Government’s plans to address the situation in the coming year.
There is a high level of impunity, thus resulting in communities settling violence cases out of legal proceedings (settling the family way). The Secretariat is committed to working with its network organizations to ending violence against women and girls and would like the President to share information on the Government’s plan to address such major issue.
In addition, 2021 also witnessed what appeared to be a new dawn in the transitional justice process of Liberia. For the first time since the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) released its report in 2009, the Senate reviewed and advised the President to establish a “Transitional Justice Commission.”
The WONGOSOL’s statement indicated that throughout the SONA, there is no information on the commission’s findings and how the Government will address transitional justice in 2022. WONGOSOL believes that this is a piece of sad news for survivors and victims of war crimes. The Secretariat urges the President to take this issue seriously as survivors and victims are still living in trauma due to the war.
It is good to note that 2022 has the highest budget in the country’s history; however, it would be helpful to state how the average citizen will benefit from it.
The Secretariat is keen on the issues mentioned above and would encourage this administration to consider them as they are necessary to fulfill citizens’’ basic human rights and freedoms.
WONGOSOL said that they recognized the significance of coordination and collaboration and will continue to work closely with the Government and other partners to advance and promote women and girls’ rights in Liberia.
The statement is quoted as appreciating President George Weah for his 5th State of Nation Address (SONA), delivered on January 24, 2022.
In a statement issued Thursday, 3rd February 2022, WONGOSOL informed the media that the President’s SONA was informative and covered achievements made in 2021.
WONGOSOL at the same time commended the President for ’committing to “support openness” for women’s participation in decision-making, especially electoral processes.
The statement however, it would have been good to mention the Government’s strategy to increase women’s representation in its Government, which currently has 19 cabinet ministers, of which only 5 are females, and in the Legislature, which has only 11 women amongst 92 men.
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