This is a public meeting of the Liberia Working Group co-hosted in Washington, DC, by USIP and The Initiative for Inclusive Security. Women were crucial in bringing peace to Liberia and are eager to aid the rebuilding effort. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has made it a priority to include women in Liberia's reconstruction. Women head the ministries of commerce, justice, finance, youth and sports, as well as the Ministry of Gender and Development. They also are 5 of the 15 county superintendents. The recent Partners' Forum, at which the donor community committed significant aid to Liberia, highlighted the role women need to play in development.

Members of the panel will discuss women's contributions to ensuring continued peace and prosperity in Liberia, and how the international and donor communities can better engage women and leverage their expertise when designing strategies for rebuilding.

For more information, please visit: http://www.usip.org/events/2007/0423_women_liberia.html