IPNEWS: The Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) has welcomed the celebration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence under the theme, “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls” with the national theme “National Theme: “With one voice, let’s end violence against women, girls, and children” which runs from 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through International Human Rights Day on 10th December.
According to a release issued over the weekend and signed by Madam Esther S. Davies Yango, WONGOSOL lauded all of its international partners (UN Women, Carter Center, Kvinna till Kvinna), as well as its bilateral partners and WONGOSOL Network Organizations for the numerous contributions to promote gender equality and to combat Gender Based Violence in Liberia.
The WONGOSOL release noted that, the fight wouldn’t have been possible without them. “We also want to thank the government of Liberia for the efforts made so far to address Gender Based Violence.”
The ease noted that, Violence against women and girls remains the most prevalent human rights violation around the world, of which Liberia is of no exception.
The Ministry of Gender Children & Social Protection reported 1,761 cases of GBV of which 68.08% accounted for RAPE. Liberia being a patriarchal society that is surrounded by entrenched corrupt culture, rigid social norms, and various challenges at community and personal level that discriminate women and girls, making it difficult for survivors to access justice which contributes to the increase of SGBV against women and girls in Liberia.
The high level of impunity, thus resulting in communities settling violence cases out of legal proceedings (settling the family way).
The government of Liberia is signatory and has domesticated so many international and regional frameworks, policies and laws that protect and promote women and girls’ human rights; the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women, the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa, (Maputo Protocol) and the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (Pillar One:
Power to the People – which highlights gender equity as a strategy to eliminate GBV and other social inequalities of women and girls in particular). The lack of political will of the government to fully implement these laws, is very alarming.
This year and previous years, Liberia experienced high rates of violence against women and girls, with sexual violence being highly reported. SGBV being the most underreported crime in Liberia, the true scope of this problem is almost unimaginable as reported cases represent just a fraction of the incidences. Gender Based Violence occurs in all sectors of our society, ranging from RAPE, Domestic Violence, Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, offensive touching (sexual assault), forced prostitution, wife inheritance and forced slavery amongst others.
Rape pandemic in Liberia seems to be taking a new gruesome trend, accelerating from gang rape, and rape of babies and extending to reported abduction and subjection of girls to sexual slavery.
Domestic violence, ritualistic killings, and other forms of violence are also high, given that this issue is alarming and coupled with other negative effects on the lives of survivors.
WONGOSOL is concerned that the Government doesn’t have a plan to address this situation, the government should employ a holistic approach to addressing domestic violence and sexual and gender base violence, covering key thematic value chains of SGBV prevention, protection, health, legal, and psychological, considering the culture of social norms and masculinity, and situational factors. Currently there is limited capacity of GBV service delivery in Liberia.
The government should adequately fund implementation of SGBV roadmap developed and adopted during the 2021 inter-ministerial national Anti-Rape conference held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, outside Monrovia.
There is a need for adequate resources towards community-based and community-led prevention, psychological and economic empowerment activities, targeting at-risk girls and women as well as SGBV survivors.
In addition, 2022 also witnessed what appeared to be a new dawn in the transitional justice process of Liberia. For the first time since the Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) released its report in 2009, there is high-level of interest from our international partners (most especially the US Government) to ensure transitional justice in Liberia.
The weaponization of sexual and gender-based violence from the civil war still persist in our today’s society with hundreds of untold stories of violence and abuse of women, girls and children who are looking up for reparations and justice in totality.
The Secretariat has been committed to working with its network organizations to end violence against women and girls and thus, call on the government to do more to address such major issue.
“As we observe the 16 Days of Activism, we are encouraging everyone to get involve, together we can put an end to Gender Based Violence in Liberia” The release noted
The Women’s NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) was established in 1998 as an organ for coordinating the activities of women organizations in Liberia.
They coordinate the activities of women’s organizations in Liberia and bring women together to formulate and present their independent views on government issues directly affecting women of Liberia.
WONGOSOL have a membership of over 104 network members in the 15 political sub–divisions of Liberia. “Our membership categories within the 15 counties encompass Community Based Organization (CBOs), Faith-Based organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).”
