Liberian Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell SaahKemayah, Sr. has disclosed that President George Manneh Weah is exerting frantic efforts to making gender mainstreaming a matter of urgency in the formulation and implantation of policies and programs to enhance greater participation of women in national leadership.
Foreign Minister Kemayan added that Mr. Weah would like to see a sense of belongingness of the women of Liberia in all spheres of public life, in accordance with the Flagship National Development Plan of the Government of Liberia – The ‘Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development’ (PAPD).
Foreign Minister Kemayah opined that Mr. Weah, in his Annual Message to the Liberian Legislature on January 25, 2021, announced the submission of a Bill to amend the Domestic Violence Act and other laws to provide enhanced and greater protection for victims of sexual and gender – based violence in Liberia;
He named the establishment of Gender and Social Inclusion Units in all government ministries, agencies and commissions; the adoption of the Gender Based Violence Comprehensive Prevention Strategy of “Leaving No One Behind” in order to heighten the protection and empowerment of women, girls and marginalized members of the Liberian society as some of the bill submitted by the President.
The Dean of the Cabinet made these remarks at the Fifth Legislature Delocalized meeting of the joint Committee on: Social Affairs, Gender and women empowerment, education, science, culture and health held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at the Ministerial Complex, Congo Town.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Fifth Legislature Delocalized meeting of the joint Committee will run from 13-17 April 2021 under the theme: “Empowerment of Women in the ECOWAS Region”
“To this end, Liberia takes pride for producing the First and only African Female President of the United Nations General Assembly, Her Excellency the Late Ambassador Angie Elizabeth Brooks-Randolph; as well as Africa’s First democratically elected Female President, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the First Female and current Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Hon. Chief Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor”, he emphasized.
The Liberian Foreign Minister, who delivered a goodwill message at the meeting, cautioned participants at the seminar on women empowerment to consider policies, programs and institutional platforms to further strengthen and deepen existing mechanisms towards ensuring greater ties between the Parliament and the people it represents.
The Liberian Foreign Minister further urged the participants at the summit to focus on the protection and participation of women in politics, governance, security, peace and conflict resolution; in fulfillment of the ECOWAS National Action Plan for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, and the Supplementary Act on the Equality of Rights between Women and Men for Sustainable Development in the ECOWAS Region.
