Monrovia – The National Chairlady of the Rural Women of Liberia Madam Kebbeh Morgan has called on women, most especially rural women in the country to support their fellow women in this year’s election to help address the many plights of women in the country.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
Being the first female President of Liberia and on the African continent, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf thrived to incorporate more women in her government, yet, the government remains dominated by men.
With the already 105 elected positions occupied by all three branches of government (Legislature, Judiciary, and the Executive), 13 seats are occupied by women while 92 seats are occupied by men.
“This coming election we want more women in government,” Madam Morgan noted while addressing a group of rural women at a one-day workshop organized by the Rural Women of Liberia at the YWCA in Congo Town.
She added: “So, you should support your friend women. Women don’t have money equal like the men, but we should support women because we want women representatives, women city mayors, and even in the district leadership. We should learn how to support women because when they go in the Legislature they will make the difference for us.”
The workshop, the National Chairlady of Rural Women of Liberia, said will be held in all 15 political subdivisions of Liberia and it’s aimed at educating women to vote their fellow women in order to increase women participation in the governance system of the country.
“We are going everywhere. We are dealing with the 73 electoral district and we will be targeting 365 women in the 15 counties which will go back and called a meeting and share the message in their various district”, Madam Morgan disclosed.
Also, many women at the event stressed the need for women to work along with the men 50-50, adding that women are care givers and should be given the chance to increase their presence in politics.
With the traditional practice which implies that women take care of the domestic duty coupled with the low support toward women in politics, Elizabeth N.G. Zarwea of the Movement for Democratic and Reconstruction in Montserrado County District #10 is optimistic of her emerging as the next lawmaker.
Madam Zarwea said she has been rebuilding the lives of many young people she refers to as Zogos.
“I’m a woman with a heart; let us vote for a woman to change our lives in our community. Only woman knows woman issue so join hands behind a woman in this year election,” Madam Zarwea.