“Used and users”

It appears Maryland County Senator Dan Morias may have just taken his opposition against the creation of a 30 percent quota for women participation in the Liberian Legislature too far.

Sen. Morias, a onetime Internal Affairs Minister in the interim regime of the late Charles GyudeBryant described Liberian women as people who are “users” and can be “used” by anybody, during a debate over a proposition which includes providing a quota for women in the Legislature.
His description of Liberian women into two categories as “used and users” could not be hindered even by an intervention from the only female in the Senate, Sen. NyonbleeKangar, who tried unsuccessfully to bring him to order.

“In Liberia, there are two classes of women: The used and the users,” Sen. Morias said adding that the “Used” are the uneducated women (market women etc) who are usually used by politicians including the “Users” educated women to gain prominence.He said most times when there are issues the educated women will use the uneducated ones at their own advantages and after they have achieved their goals, they dump them (apparently like every other politician).

He, therefore, argued that the proposition should be denied and should never see the face of the Liberian Legislature ever.But RiverGee Senator CommanyWesseh in a motion argued that instead of just dismissing the entire proposition which also includes the reduction of tenures for both the President and Vice President, and that of members of the Legislature it should be considered based on line by line.

The current presidential tenure is at 6 years, for both the president and the vice, while Senators have 9 years for the senior and the juniors have 6 years as same with the representatives.

However, Sen. Morias’ argument is that the women have always argued that “what men can do, they can also do” so they should as well compete as men and not be given special privileges because of their gender.He said the Senate had two women in its rank and file before the death of Sen. Geraldine Doe-Sheriff who was recently replaced by Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon.

Sen. Morias said what the women should have done was to rally their support behind a female candidate if they wanted to maintain the seat but they failed to do so. He further that even in the controversial Montserrado District #15 by-election, the women again failed to rally their support behind Ms. Telia Urey.

He said even the Liberian census shows that women are in the majority as compare to men and therefore they should even have the upper hand in an election.“Go to the hospitals the women nurses there are more than men,” Sen. Morias added.Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Sen. Morias will not be using the uneducated women as well for his re-election bid in 2020.By Othello B. Garblah