Liberia’s First Lady Madam Clar Weah has received Ghanaian First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Sierra Leonean First Lady Fatima Maada Bio as guests for the launch of her flagship women program, “She’s You Movement.”
Ahead of the launching exercise, the two visiting West African First Ladies were separately received by Mrs. Weah at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Margibi County on Wednesday, 19 June in preparation for the official program scheduled for Thursday, 20 June in Monrovia.
According to the Office of the First Lady, the name of the program “SHE’s You” (She is you) comes from the backdrop that Mrs. Weah presents herself as one of those being … abused and that she feels the pains and trauma that survivors experience, understands their plights and she is now standing up for them.
The First Lady’s Office says this is a national campaign to promote women empowerment and end all forms of violence against women, girls, and children.
In an interview with journalists at the airport, Madam Dame MaurwenTamuno, president of SHEROES Nigeria chapter says the SHEROES delegation is here to give support to the First Lady of Liberia Madam Weah who received a SHEROES award at a program in Ghana.
Madam Tamuno explains that SHEROES is here to give support because it sees that Madam Weah has a passion to make impact in the lives of women, especially those in the rural areas.
She says she foresees that Madam Weah’s She’s You program is meant to impact positively in the lives of Liberian women and the girl child to end violence against them.
“My expectation is to ensure that whatever is being done [in] Monrovia gets across to the grassroots,” Madam Tamuno concludes.
Madam Mame – Yaa K. Bosomtwi, Executive Secretary of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development says her organization is there to support and offer technical assistance that First Ladies need in their individual countries by coordinating interactions with UN and other development agencies and the private sector.
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She stresses support for specific needs, saying “in this case we’re talking about gender – based violence.”
The Press Attache in the Office of the First Lady of Liberia Mr. Arthur Douglas says Mrs. Weah invited some of her counterparts from other West African Countries to join her here for the launch of the She’s You Movement.
“The First Lady is intervening now, responding to the increasingly alarming wave of gender – based violence, particularly rape,” Douglas says.According to Douglas, the She’s You Movement will focus particularly on empowering women in agriculture in rural areas.
Douglas suggests that women dominate in the farming activities in the rural part of Liberia and they labor so hard, but what they get in return is so small to cater them.By Winston W. Parley
