President George Weah veto or refusal to sign the 30 Percent Women Representation Bill into law seems to have anger female lawyers who have openly expressed their displeasure by saying that such action does not reflect the terminology of “Feminist in Chief and/or HeforShe” champion.
The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) wo has continuously recommended to the Office of the President a female legal advisor on women and children matters said this is so in order to enhance and positively address women and children empowerment and to ensure that the nomenclature of Feminist in Chief and/or HeforShe as assigned to him is “Beyond Rhetoric.”
Consistent with the theme of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) assembly which took place at the weekend, AFELL’s statement delivered by its president, Philomena Williams said the women believe that the President veto on the women 30 percent quota representation seven months to a crucial presidential and legislative elections does not augur well.
Atty Williams said they strongly believe that if the President had signed the 30 percent affirmative action for women representation, it would have clearly not have delayed the election process as stated in his veto statement stating that the present cause of delays in the elections processes are due to multiplicity of reasons namely a single computer assigned at registration center to ensure timely and adequate registration, the two hours shut down in the system at registration centers, and the very poor awareness for voter registration.
“Let us note that the President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone signed the 30 percent quota affirmative act in January of 2023, as close as five months to the presidential and legislative elections scheduled to be held in June 2023,” they lawyers reminded.
The Sierra Leonean President stated: “We, men, have yet to see or acknowledge women’s rightful position fully, and this law will give us tools to correct that. Now that we have a stable and peaceful Sierra Leone, we cannot afford to have women, who make up 52 percent of the population, not featuring prominently.”
Like Sierra Leone, the female lawyers quoted the Acting Director of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), Lawrence George, as saying that the de facto population in Liberia on census night, Friday, November 10, 2022…female population accounts for 48.6.
The women noted the statistic also reflects that gender inequality cuts over all circles of life in Liberia, and women are disproportionately represented in all areas of employment in politics and leadership.
They said with the Theme: “Beyond Rhetoric and Impunity: Law, Governance and the 2023 elections the basis for democratic necessity in Liberia,” AFELL went to the assembly disappointed in the President vetoe of the New Elections Law, Section 4.5, 30 percents affirmative gender representation.
We read that our chief feminist’s reason for the veto is that “The country is just seven months away to the 2023 general and presidential elections, as such certain changes in the elections law at a time so close would tend to send mixed signals to the electorates and present the potential to cause delays in elections processes,” AFELL reiterated at the Assembly.
The lawyers told that body that they are set aback and want the President of Liberia to rationalize the gigantic inequality gap of women in politics and leadership in Liberia and the need for complimentary laws that mirror and are in consonance with the constitution.
AFELL said it is delighted and congratulates sisters, the women of Sierra Leone for a milestone achievement against disproportionaterepresentationofemploymentinpoliticsandleadership.
Cognizant of the Constitutional provision under Chapter 111, Article 18, this states “All Liberian citizen shall have equal opportunity for work and employment regardless of sex, creed, religion, ethnic background, place of origin or political affiliation, and all shall be entitled to equal pay for equal work.”
Similarly, the constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Specific to employment rights Section 8 (3) (a) states that “the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that – every citizen, without discrimination on any grounds whatsoever, shall have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunities to secure suitable employment.”
