By Grace Q. Bryant
Medica Liberia has hosted an hour candlelight vigil in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan on the fear and concern over the degeneration of women’s human rights in the face of the Taliban takeover of the government.
Speaking yesterday at the headquarters of Medica Liberia on Old Road, the Country Director, Caroline Bowah, disclosed that women of Liberia have seen worse things before therefore what is happening in Afghanistan is saddened.
“We are also calling on embassies within the borders of Afghanistan to ensure the safety for human rights advocates who are seeking refuge,” she added.
According to the Country Director, their freedoms are limited, therefore they are no longer exercising their rights so they cannot leave the country with their families maintaining, “Not every woman in Afghanistan have been able to flee from the country, this is why we are worried or concerned that our women who worked with versatile Afghans have not been moved to safe homes.”
“We remain hopeful and that is why we are here today to join women in other parts of the world offering prayers and sending them messages to keep them strong,” she expressed.
The violation of human rights including the oppression of women and girls under previous Taliban rule has raised serious concerns as well as their lives being at stake adding, “We try to get to the airport but we could not get out, so we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
She also said as women of Liberia who have experienced the oppression of our rights, we are deeply saddened by this reality and called on the international community to swiftly intervene in the humanitarian crisis in the country and ensure the protection of the rights of women, girls and minorities
Meanwhile, Medica Liberia believes that media practitioners have not done well in fast-tracking SGBV cases in Liberia and as such, the group sees it necessary to work with them in making sure that cases of such are followed up and not leaving the public in doubt.
Medica Liberia is a national NGO, women’s center organization that is working in four of Liberia’s 15 counties mainly focusing on issues affecting women and how they can be eradicated.
Medica Liberia formerly medica Mondiale founded 2006, is a women’s rights organization working with affected women and girls in Liberia and is in Monsterrado, Margibi, Sinoe, and Grand Gedeh Counties.