By Grace Q. Bryant
The Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association (LIFLEA) and the Gender Security Sector National Taskforce (GSSNT) are calling on ministries, agencies, and the Government of Liberia to give women more positions to participate within the security sector.
Speaking with reporters Monday, December 4 in Monrovia, at the headquarters of the Liberia Immigration Service, Cllr. Asatu Bah-Kenneth, LDEA Deputy Commissioner General for Nationalization and National Coordinator for LIFLEA, said some of the challenges faced by female law enforcement officers in the security sector include recruitment, reassignment, promotion, and retention.
“In as much as we keep talking about gender equality in the security sector, we should also consider females who merit those positions, not just because we want women in security sector,” she expressed.
Cllr. Bah-Kenneth stated that there should be a consideration for the meritorious recognition and promotion of women in law enforcement to ensure that there are more women officers in mid to senior managerial positions.
The LDEA Deputy Commissioner General for Nationalization recommended that law enforcement agencies should prioritize capacity building and personal development to enhance the skills of female officers, especially those assigned outside of Monrovia.
“The Liberia Female Law Enforcement Association (LIFLEA) and the Gender Security Sector National Taskforce (GSSNT) are nationally recognized bodies focused on engaging in policy reform initiatives, advocacy, and public dialogue to build stronger mechanisms to promote and protect the rights of women in the security sector of Liberia,” LIFLEA Coordinator explained.
She stated that LIFLEA is an institution that was established to advocate for female law enforcement officers by advancing institutional responsiveness, policies, and fostering the environment for gender mainstreaming within the Liberia law enforcement sector.
Both institutions draw on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which affirms that peace and security efforts are more sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict, the delivery of relief and recovery efforts, and in the forging of lasting peace.
During the interview, Madam Somah and Cllr. Bah-Kenneth re-emphasized concerns affecting women in the security sector, including harassment, intimidation, and limited opportunities for promotion, and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards the prevention of violence against women in the security sector.
They also highlighted that women in the security sector are invaluable assets to sustainable peace and stability, and that their contributions, sacrifice, dedication, and hard work should not be overlooked, but rather, celebrated and appreciated through meaningful actions.
For her part, Madam Maude M. Somah, GSSNT Coordinator, said that female officers are not involved in discussion-making at the highest level in the security sector. She maintained that there has been lot of reforms in the security sector, and the government saw it necessary to ensure that gender is mainstream within the security sector.
According to her, some challenges women face in the security sector include recommending policy and institutional reforms, such as support and empowerment of gender units to protect the interest of women in the security sector.
Madam Somah further named commending actions by the government to ensure gender-responsive budgeting each fiscal year to provide adequate support for women in the security sector.
She noted that GSSNT is a nationally recognized task force with the mandate to build synergies and promote efforts to ensure that the Liberia security sector remains an inclusive sector that can sustain peace in Liberia and enable continued participation of women in the planning, decision-making, and implementation of initiatives in the security sector.
“The project works to ensure that women officers in the security sector have adequate skills and technical knowledge to improve their capacity, enhance their work efficiency, and accelerate their growth in the security sector,” the GSSNT Coordinator explained.
She used the occasion to call on the Government of Liberia to make commitments towards investing in gender-based violence prevention efforts.
Madam Somah explained that LIFLEA and GSSNT are supported by the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), under the “Strengthening Gender Equality in Liberia’s Security Sector” (SEGESS) project.
