The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) and partners have completed the validation of the organization’s five-year Strategic Plan which will run from 2022-2027.
With support from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the five-year Strategic plan focuses on the respect for the fundamental rights that protect human dignity.
Serving as the Keynote speaker at the start of the validation of the plan, UN Women Country Director, Comfort Lamptey, called on the AFELL leadership to ensure the full implementation of the strategic plan which she said will help protect the rights of women and girls of Liberia.
Madam Lamptey who described the plan as a big boost and gain in the fight against all forms of discrimination against women and girls across the country thanked AFELL and partners for their farsightedness for the crafting and developing of the plan.
According to her, the movement for gender equality is a fight for sustainable development for Liberia as a country and not just women’s movement and as such, there is an urgent need for all Liberians to rally around AFELL to support and protect the rights of girls and women.
She noted further that it is no secret of a gap that exists between the passage of domestic laws and its full implementation in Liberia, and as such, the drafting and validating of the plan could not have come at a better time than now.
Madam Lamptey added, “The drafting of your plan came at a very critical time amidst the many challenges women and girls are being faced and it is something that should now claim all of us attention. So, we should have the confidence that this plan will be implemented to the fullest.”
For her part, AFELL president’s Philomena Williams stated that the validation of the strategic plan marks a paradigm shift in the history of their organization, as the plan provides a roadmap on how to achieve their vision and effect their mission and execution of actions and activities during the five-year period.
She maintained that as they approach elections, their plan will also focus on increasing women participation in leadership and politics with particular emphasis on violence against women in elections, and thereby encouraged all women to render the highest support to each other.
According to her, the plan will also reflect holistic access to justice, especially for vulnerable women, children and the disables and intensified the call for enactment of laws for the abolition of forceful/deceptive Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia.
She added, “Colleagues, we are also charged to ensure that our plan for the next five years addresses weak administrative structure, policies and regulatory processes and procedures including constitutional amendment, the availability of logistical and technical tools, collaboration with partners to effectively execute our programs, track our progress and evaluate our performances.”
Meanwhile, the AFELL president at the same time reaffirmed their commitment that, “AFELL is determined to remain the premier institution in promoting and protecting women and children’s rights in Liberia. We are also hopeful that our partners will financially support our five-year Plan of actions.”
