Medica Liberia Empowers 8 Local CSOs -Provides Grant to Fight Sexual Gender-Based Violence, Harmful Practices and Promote Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights

As part of efforts in ensuring local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are fully empowered to fight Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), Harmful Practices (HP) and Promote Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the country, medica-Liberia (mL) has provided a small grant to eight (8) Civil Society Organizations in five counties: namely Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Gedeh Counties.

According to the organization, the project is to strengthen the capacity of eight (8) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by providing them with resources/support to coordinate, monitor, and report on SGBV HP effectively, and SRHR issues at sub-national and community levels.

The project builds on gains made during a previous UNDP Spotlight Initiative funded program, which medica Liberia implemented in 2019. The past project focused on the capacity assessment of selected CSOs based on recommendations from Gender Coordinators within the five Spotlight Initiative counties (Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Gedeh Counties).

Based on the gaps identified during the capacity assessment, the organization says training in SGBV, HP and SRHR was conducted for selected CSOs and stakeholders within their respective counties. Further, the selected CSOs were supported to develop organizational strategies that address SGBV, HP and SRHR.

With support from the current project, a four-day workshop was held with the selected CSOs from May 4-7, 2021, to review and revise the strategic plans developed in 2019 and conduct refresher training on SGBV, HP and SRHR. At the end of the workshop, mL provided small grants to the eight (8) CSOs to implement the costed action plans.

Speaking at the close of the four days’ workshop, medica Liberia Advocacy Officer, Atty. Yah Vallah Parwon indicated that the UNDP funds the project through the European Union Spotlight Initiative. She further noted that medica Liberia would continue to work closely with the selected CSOs to monitor their activities and provided the needed support throughout the project duration.

‘These CSOs are working in their respective counties doing great work to promote human rights and end violence against women; we are proud to support their work’, Atty. Parwon added.

For their part, the participants thanked medica-Liberia for the opportunity given them and promised to work in line with the project’s objectives.

They said; thus the grant is welcoming and will impact the fight against SGBV, HP and promoting SRHR within Liberia, and they are going to work hard to help in the process.

medica Liberia (mL), formerly medica mondiale Liberia, is a non-governmental women rights organization. The organization offers support to women and girls who have been affected by sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) since 2006. mL has been implementing programs for women and girls in Liberia’s South-eastern parts and recently extended its coverage to Montserrado and Margibi Counties.

This project forms part of the European Union in Liberia funded #globalspotlight Initiative. This joint project is being implemented by the One UN in Liberia through agencies like UN Women Liberia, UNICEF Liberia, UNFPA and UNDP Liberia

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