Liberia

MONROVIA – Campaigns to increase women’s representation in political representation to 30 percent are picking up steam again in the country with Deputy Speaker J. Fonati Koffa promising to robustly advocate with his colleagues and support the Women Legislative Caucus for its passage.

Monrovia – A coalition of Liberian women have joined the only female and leading senatorial candidate in the ongoing election in Gbarpolu County, Madam Botoe Kanneh in seeking assurances from the Government of Liberia to provide security for her and supporters ahead of the rescheduled election in Nomodatonau Town, located within the county’s third electoral District.

Ahead of the December 8, 2020 Senatorial election, the Coalition of Political Parties Women in Liberia (COPPWIL) says the national legislature is not balanced because of the limited female representation in the Liberian Senate.

The group, which is a conglomeration of women from all political parties in the country, believe that there is a need for women to be enlightened about major issues affecting them and their community or county.

Liberia’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change party has announced its candidates for the upcoming 8 December senatorial elections, without nominating a single female, which has drawn huge criticism from women’s rights activists in the country. 

The African Women Leaders Network Liberia Chapter (AWLN Liberia), in collaboration with the National Elections Commission (NEC) on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, concluded its second consultative meeting with representatives of the women’s wings of political parties with an emphasis calling on their Governing Council to accommodate more women in politics.

UN Women in partnership with the African Women Leaders Network Liberia Chapter (AWLN-Liberia) has embarked on a consultative meeting with representatives of the women’s wings of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) to discuss advocacy strategies for the approval of gender provisions in the electoral law amendments submitted by National Elections Commission (NEC) to the Legislature.

At a seminar on the way forward for an enforceable gender quota and strategies for implementing Elections Law 4.5 b and c, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor stressed that without a good financial backing, women will find it difficult to remain in politics.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, a group of civil society organizations, led by women’s rights groups and networks assembled outside the National Elections Commission (NEC’s) headquarters in Sinkor and released a communique calling for reform on New Elections Law Section 4.5 (b) and (c).

For future elections, one of which is expected to be held in October this year, the Executive Director of Paramount Young Women Initiative, Facia B. Harris, is encouraging young women of Liberia to make use of every opportunity available to them to pursue political seats at the National Legislature.