By Atty. Al-Varney Rogers
Women in Liberia are breaking barriers by taking on roles in fields traditionally dominated by men.
While active leadership roles are reserved for men in Liberia, Madam Sonda Geepea Wilson has broken the taboo and mastered the art of empowering rural women, enabling them to etch a decent livelihood.
Madam Geepea-Wilson was born in Sanniquellie City, Nimba County, Liberia. During her early childhood her country saw a bloody coup d’etat in 1980 significantly altered the country’s course.
By my teenage years, Liberia was embroiled in a macabre civil war that would essentially obliterate her adolescent years and a significant chunk of her adult years.
As disruptive as the civil war was, it didn’t stop Sondah from pursuing her goals.
After breakdown of the rule of law, Sondah added that something needed to be done amidst the breakdown of order and the dire humanitarian condition.
At 22, Sondah established the Special Emergency Activity to Restore Children’s Hope (SEARCH) to provide services in child protection, education, health, and emergency response interventions.
“My journey to politics finds its roots in my first hand experiences with the sufferings of children during and in the aftermath of the civil war,” Geepea-Wilson added.
Madam Geepea-Wilson said that her organization (SEARCH) grew from a community- based organization to a national institution, partnering with several national and international organizations, and various United Nations Agencies including UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, and UNDP among others.
“These partnerships have created more than 3,000 full-time and part-time jobs for full-time employees and volunteers in Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Maryland, Montserrado and Grand Cape Mount Counties. Above all, we continue to put smiles on the faces of children we exist to serve. More could be done with a bigger platform at the Legislature,” She added.
Madam Geepea-Wilson added that it has never lost on her that L e a d e r s h i p requires preparation. Hence, she sought to prepare herself for the day she would be given political office.
She earned a Bachelor of Law degree from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia.
Madam Geepea-Wilson also hold a post-baccalaureate diploma from the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, Stella Maris Polytechnic and other certificates in leadership, human resources management and humanitarian services. I am a candidate for Master of Arts degree in International Relations.
She is a 2022 Fellow of the Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Program.
In 2020, a group of young people from her community held a program in her honor requesting me to contest for the representative seat for in District 2, Nimba County.
“This ceremony was an enlightening revelation of my burning desires for change in communities my organization serves, bringing visibility to women’s political participation and supporting the cause of women and girls. I saw in the petition an opportunity for a disenfranchised population of marginalized women to gain a voice through me and have a say in the county’s decision-making process,” Madam Geepea-Wilson said.
Following the petition, she proceeded into the district where consultation meetings were convened with e l d e r s (males and females) on whether to accept the petition to contest. The feedback was welcoming and led to an overwhelming support to change the political dynamics in Nimba County, where for the last 18 years have had no female representation at the Legislature.
“Having gotten the support of the locals especially women and girls headed by the former city mayor of Sanniquellie, who became our campaign advisor. The Action for Women, Children and youth for Adequate representation, Keeping the peace and Empowerment (AWAKE) was established to promote the development of a women’s political climate and entrepreneurship center to become a pipeline whereby women leaders are built and sustainable support for mentorship and opportunity for women to run for political office. The acronym then became a slogan” AWAKE! Kwawelleh in the Mahn Vernacular.”
Madam Geepea-Wilson graciously conceded and accepted the loss. Being a selfless and nationalistic female candidate in the race, she pledged my support to the Unity Party in the run-off election.
“I was selected by the National Unity Party Alliance Campaign Team to serve as deputy campaign coordinator for Nimba County, a position I diligently served, which brought the Unity Party Alliance national victory. I am emboldened to remain engaged in the political space more than ever,” She added.
Recounting her experience as a female candidate in a male dominated race, she was sometimes faced with many challenges.
Thise constituents who supported male candidates would bring in traditional bottlenecks such as females cannot lead men. “The culture prohibits such”, they said. There were also instances of political violence.
“Some of my campaign materials were destroyed by unknown persons. In one case, my supporters and I were attacked by supporters of the incumbent. But I didn’t give up.”
“I will persist until I get the opportunity to leave a mark on governance in our country. I will not waiver until the material conditions of my people are transformed. Yes, I dare to become,” Madam Geepea-Wilson added.
