The Kvinna Till Kvinna Foundation and Sweden’s support in Liberia enabled the Organization for Women and Children (ORWOCH) to conduct an extensive focus group discussion aimed at incorporating gender considerations into the ARREST initiative led by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
President Boakai unveiled the ARREST policy on January 22, 2024, as a component of his six-year developmental blueprint for Liberia, emphasizing Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.
Despite Liberia’s pledge to various international human rights treaties, the proportion of women in decision-making roles is still minimal. Post the 2023 elections, women accounted for merely 10.3% of the legislative body.
As per UN Women’s data as of March 25, 2024, out of 572 official appointments made, men held 434 positions (76%), while women held 138 (24%).
The gender imbalance is also evident within the judiciary, where women make up 40% of Supreme Court justices, 12.5% of circuit court judges, and a mere 3% of magisterial court judges.
An in-depth examination of the ARREST agenda’s strategic points highlights critical sectors such as agriculture, road development, legal framework enforcement, education, water and sanitation services (WASH), and tourism.
ORWOCH works in tandem with Project Accountable Safe Space (PASS), a coalition of grassroots female leaders and organizations striving to enhance the political rights of women, girls, and marginalized demographics.
Their initiatives encompass providing legal support, sexual and reproductive health care, shelters, and protective environments. PASS’s mission is to elevate consciousness, document issues, and ensure that the perspectives of grassroots women are considered in addressing obstacles that hinder their political engagement, particularly violence.
“Atty. Mmonbeydo Joah, ORWOCH’s Executive Director stated that integrating women’s rights with Liberia’s developmental hurdles into the ARREST agenda is imperative,”
ORWOCH is a feminist organization led by women at the national level dedicated to empowering females and girls to assert their rights and make their voices influential. The NGO motivates women across all age groups to take part in leadership roles and interact with political entities to further their political aspirations.
It also tackles challenges that restrict political involvement among marginalized groups including women, girls, and individuals with disabilities.
Confronting the various disparities encountered by women, girls, and marginalized groups is vital for fostering gender parity and sustainable growth in Liberia. Systematic integration of gender perspectives will ensure that educational reforms benefit both students and educators by creating safer learning environments.
The rationale behind uniting these women’s organizations was to guarantee that the ARREST agenda’s objectives mirror those of Liberian females.
“Atty. Joah remarked that this collaboration aims to uncover new concerns and assess their impact on women, youth, and marginalized communities,”
The objective was to pinpoint potential opportunities and hazards for policy advocacy and cooperation and to assess whether the execution of ARREST is consistent with other existing women’s manifestos and gender policies. The government will consider proposing a gender-inclusive version of the ARREST agenda based on the deficiencies identified by this consortium.
Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation (KtK), ORWOCH’s principal ally, underscored the significance of collaboration and collective action during this meeting.
Aisha Lai highlighted that prioritizing women and girls statistically leads to national prosperity. She underscored the importance of female education by saying “The global community now turns its attention towards us because our elections have been the most peaceful compared to other nations in our vicinity.”
