The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MGCSP) has introduced a new national policy dialogue platform aimed at enhancing social and livelihood services for women and girls in targeted communities. The national policy dialogue platform is a component of the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP)– with objectives geared toward fostering positive social norms and bolstering the government’s capacity to advance gender equality.
The LWEP is a US$44.6 million multi-sectoral initiative that intends to address key barriers to gender equality in the country, and as well aligns with government priorities on women’s empowerment and GBV prevention and response. The project also complements ongoing investments and pilot new initiatives in healthcare, education, and GBV survivor services.
During the launch at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town on Thursday, May 30, Gbeme Horace Kollie, Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), highlighted the significance of the policy dialogue platform in supporting existing interventions and policies related to gender equality, women’s economics, and gender-based violence.
“This national policy platform aims at improving social and livelihood services for women and girls in targeted communities, foster positive social norms, and strengthen the government’s capacity to advance women and girls’ empowerment,” Minister Kollie disclosed. “The platform is intended to support our existing interventions and policies relating to gender equality, women’s economics, and gender-based violence.”
Funded by the World Bank, the minister noted that the platform will help enhance women-related issues, especially advocacy and support to women groups.
Comfort Lamptey, UN Women’s Country Representative to Liberia, emphasized the importance of prevention in the fight against gender-based violence and the need to address root causes through challenging negative social norms.
“Prevention is key and central to all of the work that could be done. Working on negative social norms means addressing the root causes, and if they can make progress, they will be able to prevent gender-based violence,” she said. “Promoting a good-opportunity life for women is a prevention measure because women are empowered, they have agency, and they have a choice to walk out.”
Minister of Education, Jarso Maley Jallah, underscored the need to prioritize girls’ education and engage in dialogues to address policy issues affecting girls, such as teenage pregnancy and discriminatory practices.
Jarso Maley Jallah, Minister of Education, lauded the stakeholders for making the collaboration possible.
“The importance of the project cannot be overemphasized and there is urgency to wake up young people and the consciousness of girls who are writing policies that impact girls,” the minister said. “Girls’ education is one of my major priorities. And the outcomes for girls in their educational journey literally start at the foundational level because they fall off when they reach junior high level.”
“What’s the cause of that?” she asked. “These types of dialogue are critical and important because they are the ones that inform what we do in the various sectors.”
“One of the things that caught my attention since I took office is the issue of teenage pregnancy. You will see the girls are discriminated against and not allowed in class but the boys are, and these things are policy issues that need to be talked about because it’s discrimination,” she added.
Deputy Minister Laura Golakeh also highlighted the policy dialogue platform as a forum for open and honest conversations to address pressing issues faced by women and girls. She expressed optimism about future policy dialogues and encouraged collaborative efforts to make a positive impact on women and girls in Liberia.
The launch, she added, marks the beginning of a critical conversation, and the gathering of stakeholders signifies their shared commitment, both from the government and partners, to address some of the present issues that women and girls face and to find sustainable solutions to the issues.
She indicated that the platform is a forum where everyone can share ideas, have an open and honest conversation, and think about strategies for women’s issues.
