Over the years, women and girls in Liberia continue to face serious challenges as they pursue normal life in the midst of insecurity and violence.
Woman suffer trauma and stigmatization from all forms of violence which is a major challenge that has caused a huge gap in improving their livelihoods.
According to records, the West Point community which is recorded as one of largest communities in Monrovia that harbors a huge number of such women and girls who suffer violence on a daily basis and that violence includes rape, domestic violence child labor among others.
In combating some of these crimes women and their children face within the country particularly in the West Point area, a local organization called The West Point Women For Health and Development seeks to better the lives of women and their children living in said area and the country at large.
They developed several programs that educate women and adolescent girls in their Health, skills training, youth and Woman empowerment, as well as giving GBV victims a safe space to heal.
Speaking in an interview with the Executive Director, Mrs. Nelly S. Cooper and her team, they narrated that since the establishment of the organization in 2002, they have been working tirelessly so that women and children voices are heard and have a safe living space.
Mrs. Cooper noted that they have also been working with adolescent girls between 10- 29 years, teaching them about their bodies, preventing pregnancy, access to safe sex, hygienic care and giving a safe space to victims of GBV, adding that the organization in its weak ways has been able to send some of these girls back to school through its Girls Education Program.
In further details, the GBV councilor described the livelihood of women and adolescent girls living in West Point, Central Monrovia and others part of the country as bad and unsafe. “Our institution received cases of rape and forms of Violence every day,” she explained.
Madam added that, from January to May there have been 30-35 reported cases on all forms of violence which has caused serious threats to the growth and development of the county.
According to her, women and children across the county need a serious attention if the government wants growth and development in the country.
Madam Cooper said that the Justice Ministry needs to put in more efforts in making sure that the perpetrators of the crimes be prosecuted and at the same time encouraged parents of any rape victim to not to compromise said cases which will not encourage them as a helping body to get justice for that victim.
She however called on the Liberian Government and international community to help find remedies to such situation that is damaging the livelihoods of women and children across Liberia; by Decontee K. Karngar-FeJAL/USAID gender reporting fellow.
