As the general elections draw close, there are genuine concerns of women’s participation and women in River Gee County are no exception despite being almost half of the country’s population according to the National Elections Commission’s (NEC) voters’ registration records of 2017 general elections.
According to a data by the NEC in River Gee County alone, women accounted for 46.2% of 35,240 total registrants then in 2017.
Liberia is also a signatory to the World Conference on Women in Beijing, which advocates for 30 percent affirmative action and National Gender Policy (NGP) for inclusive representation of women both in elective and appointive positions.
The oldest African Country, Liberia, is also part of The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, and The Gender Agenda of Africa 2063, amongst others.
Ahead of this year’s October 10 polls, there is decrease in female aspirants but increase in enrollment of women in the ongoing NEC Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) in River Gee County relative to 2017 where female candidates were fielded by political parties.
For the 2023 elections, the list of female aspirants vying for electoral representative positions in the county stands at three and they include; Mrs. Tenneh Karmara Subah, District 2; Josephine Tarpeh, District 2 and Dorris Keh, District 3 which reveals heightened gender bias in the county.
Unity Party’s Vice Chairperson for Administration, District 1, in Gbeapo Kanweaken, River Gee County, Morris Weah, recognizes women as the fulcrum around which social, economic, and more importantly political activities rotate.
He added that women themselves need to do more in political participation to ensure accomplishment of common goals that will also bring about free, fair, inclusive, credible and acceptable general elections.
In recognition of the many international conventions on women’s political participation, the Unity Party is just one party in the county that is ensuring that women rights to free and fair participation in the electoral process is protected, secured and preserved.
“It is imperative that we embark on efforts that will promote and protect women’s interests, security, and create a violence-free atmosphere for massive participation in the election to entrench the culture of inclusive and participatory democracy that meets the minimum requirements of fairness and credibility,” said Chea.
Subah, the female aspirant of District 2, said women have remained largely under-represented in political power throughout Liberia’s history especially in the southeastern region and specifically in River Gee County.
She listed attempts made to address the gender imbalance since the beginning of Liberia’s electoral democracy including public campaigns, proposed legislative reforms, and internal measures within political parties.
According to Mrs. Subah, assessment of the performances of female aspirants in River Gee County in the 2017 general elections and previous elections reveal a disturbing trend adding that women’s representations in elective and appointed offices have not only failed in the county but appear to have declined massively.
A women’s rights activist, Caroline Bowah, revealed that women’s political participation in Liberia falls below the world and African continental standard.
According to her, the national average of women’s political participation in 2021 in Liberia remains at 10 percent which is below the global average of 22.5 percent, Africa regional average of 23.4 percent and West African Sub Regional average of 15 percent, accordingly,
Females’ representation in Liberia is 8 out of the 73 (11%) in the national parliament, compared to other African countries like Rwanda, (67 percent); Senegal (about 57 percent) according to a report of the Gender Quotas Database (GQD).
The president of Glaro Administrative District Rural Women in River Gee County, Sara George, said the trend of women 30 percent political participation can only be achieved with unity and love amongst them.
“Therefore, we are planning a supportive meeting for mentorship of all prospective female candidates and it is our hope to meet our goal in this election,” she disclosed.
More advocates believe that when women are equally represented in government, more investments are directed to education, health, and social welfare and that also links to stability, less corruption and peace. Thus, equal gender representation is smart and beneficial to politics for the general populace.
Meanwhile, River Gee County has 56 Voter Registration Centers in three electoral districts and at most of the BVR enters visited, it showed more turnout of women and first-time voters.
River Gee County is included in the Phase II of the BVR exercise which started on April 21, 2023 and is expected to end on May 11, 2023. Report by Ben T.C Brooks (River Gee) – INTERNEWS/PAL Elections reporting fellow.
