Monrovia – The Coalition of Political Parties Women in Liberia (COPPWILL) in collaboration with NAYMOTE have launched a one-day citizen engagement campaign aimed at helping women aspirants find out what issues that are most important to voters.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Doe Community, Bushrod Island, the Vice President of COPPWILL, Georgia Gaye said the campaign was initiated from a workshop held in Gbarnga, Bong County that brought together aspirants and campaign managers.
She stated that the forum will help women aspirants develop campaign strategies to address those concerns of the voters and establishing a direct communication link where women aspirant will be directly in touch with the electorates.
For her part, Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, averred that the forum will give the women aspirants the opportunity to come face to face with the electorates.
“The work of COPPWILL is to ensure that women understand their role; that they have the chance to come up and speak to their people and allow the people to see them as they consider who to vote for. “
“We are encouraging women to vote for women. Our work is to make sure that our women population, about 49 percent is not continuously marginalized,” she intoned.
Meanwhile the residents of Doe Community named the lack of good health facilities including proper hygiene, quality education, good road network, teenage pregnancy, and exposure of youths to narcotic drugs as main problems confronting them.
For their parts, the women aspirants of Montserrado County Electoral District #14, Regina Sokan Teah and Pauline Weah Nyanforh in separate remarks promised to address some of the burning issues when elected.
Hon Teah who once represented the district in the 52nd Legislature said that the pavement of roads in the district would be her main area of concern; while Madam Teah pledged to prioritize education.
The district is currently represented by Hon. Vamuyan Conneh at the 53rd National Legislature.
For her part, Senator Taylor blamed the increase in teenage pregnancy and prostitution to the break down in family structures.
She intimated that some parents are still in the habit of sending their children in the streets to make ends meet for the family.
The Bong County Lawmaker and Vice Standard Bearer of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) said if elected to state power, the CDC government will provide opportunities for girls to encourage them get out of the streets.
“We will try to build more schools for girls; because if you take them from out of the community and send them to school for ten months, that will help them get out of harm’s way,” she intoned.
“We will take our daughters off the streets and provide training opportunities for them. We have to talk to our daughters and change their mindset so that they realize how valuable they are.”