Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Thursday met at the compound of the Lutheran Church in Sinkor, to discuss solutions to women barriers in ascending to leadership on the local and national levels.
The discussion, held under the joint engagement project was under the theme: “Strengthening Collaboration and Responding to Gender Based Violence, Economic Empowerment and Increase Representation of Women in Political Leadership at the county and national levels in Liberia and Strengthening Women’s Participation in Leadership and Peacebuilding Mechanisms in Liberia.”
The meeting was being organized by the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), UN women, the Government of Ireland International Development Programme, Kvinna Kvinna and Sweden Sverige.
Presenting the overview during the meeting, Berttee Forkpabio of WONGOSOL said, their discussions centered around networking process and building consensus, strengthening capacity of network members, women rights focusing on CEDAW protocols and the local government act, holding government officials accountable and ensuring that the act is workable.
Madam Forkpabio further stated that their gathering was important because it laid the basis to directly build national consensus and strengthen coordination for women’s bill at the Legislature.
She urged those attending the meeting to remain focused and ask probing questions on their chest in order to find the way forward rather remaining silent or carrying what she referred to as ‘they say’ or ‘hear say’.
Also speaking was commissioner Josephine Kou Gaye of the National Elections Commission. She pointed out that it’s necessary whenever women gather to have discussions on women’s issues, men should be a part so that they will be the conveyor of the message.
She expressed hopes that the discussions will impact women’s participation at all levels in the society.
For her part, Veronica Songor of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, added that their meeting served as foundation to future engagements.
Meanwhile, WONGOSOL’s region one coordinator, Laura Targbeh Korvah, indicated that they are targeting the barriers preventing women’s participation at all levels and at the same time working to find solutions to those barriers.
She further called on the participants to remain focused on their objectives to achieving their goals by seeing women being represented at all sectors; both government and private.
Topics presented during the meeting included: Local Government Act, UNSCR 1325 Pillar Two, Maputo Protocol Article 9, Status on the important Bills that Promote Female Participation and Women Rights, Proposed New Elections Law Section 4.5, Strengthening Coordination among Women’s Rights Organizations to engage Policymakers and Stakeholders for Actions.
