By Jacqueline Lucia Dennis
The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) President Atty Philomena T. Williams on Saturday February 18, 2023, said there is a need for President George Weah to act more, and make strong public condemnation of issues of violence against women and children.
“Mr. President, we are not hearing you, please speak with a loud voice, especially as we approach this election period,” Atty. Williams stressed, ahead of AFELL pending 2023 Convention.
It can be recalled President Weah declared himself as Feminist-in-Chief few years ago, stating that he was a champion of women issues and he would all within his constitutional power to ensure that girls and woman are protected at all cause under the Liberian laws.
AFELL President Atty Philomena T. Williams
The AFELL President made the statement on the grounds of the Temple of Justice during a colorful walk program, which started with the parade through the principal streets in Monrovia, with placards messages that read “Treat Children With Love”, “Stop the violence against women in Election”, “Report All Rape Cases Don’t Compromise Rape”, “Stop Sodomizing Young Boys”, Stop Female Genital Mutilation”, and “Stop Street Selling Put Us In School”.
AFELL will on Thursday and Friday, February 23 & 24, 2023, hold its first Convention and commemorate it 29 years of systematic advocacy.
During the program, ahead of the Convention the president of AFELL Atty, Williams stated “The walk against all forms of violence is a call to attention recognizing that to battle all from of violence, we should collectively target the cause, therefore, AFELL with determination, will not relent in its advocacy of prevent and end multi-dimension violence against woman and Children. In our collective fight, communities and faith-based institutions should engage in intervention programs and activities aimed at strengthening awareness at local level”.
However, AFELL also requests the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP). Patrick Sudue to focus on developing deterrence strategies to reduce violence and to impartially enforce the arrest of perpetrators, and where probable cause is established, and the matter procedurally taken to court, AFELL believes that if these actions applied will develop and maintain public confidence of the police which has been destroyed.
President Williams, revealed that for 29 years, with the support of international partners they have focused their advocacy educating communities to know and exercise their rights, revealing that they have raised awareness on gender inequality, health risks of female genital mutilation, amended gender insensitive law.
She said over the years, they represented indigents, providing legal services to those in need of legal assistance who are not able to afford lawyers. The AFELL president added that since the establishment of AFELL, they continue to speak strongly against all forms of violence and abuse of women and children.
AFELL President Williams, said the effectiveness of their activism, multi-dimensional violence in the country has intensified and therefore it needs attention, physical, physiological, economic violence, and child abuse remain prevalent in Liberia.
She recalled the growing terror in rape cases, is damaging, and harmful effect on children as young as two (2) and three (3) years old, the increase in domestic violence and abuse, women are severely beaten by their spouses and left with indelible scars, the growing number of unabated murders without redress-sadly, but mentioned that a security woman was murdered in her home in Brewerville, outside of Monrovia.
According to her, ritualistic killing is widespread across the length and breadth of Liberia indicating that women are reporting threats to their life. AFELL also made reference to Representative Rosalyn Denise who then wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives reporting threats to her life, and the former Chief Justice, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, who stated on OK FM radio and reported that unidentified persons broke into her car and home two nights in succession leaving a trail of knifes threats.
Some veteran AFELL members at the Walk to the Temple of Justice recently
She pointed out “What is happening, we need to be protected, child abuse, neglect and maltreatment are on the increase, children are used as bread winners for their family, trafficking of women and children on the rise, and now the panic of emerging election violence. All these are in violations of our law and international legal instrument”.
At the same time she noted, AFELL a non-political and non-governmental organization, yet with the mandate to educate citizens, appealed to electorate to exercise their constitutional right to vote, and secure the peace during and after elections.
AFELL than called on all citizens to report all known cases of violence to the police and/or the relevant institutions for immediate redress, “let’s settle electoral dispute peacefully and not violently,” President Williams maintained.
