Monrovia – Human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe says women rights in Liberia are constantly being violated by state security under the regime of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Cllr. Gongloe said much was not done in protecting women’s rights in Liberia under a female presidency, saying, women were being left behind in everything in Liberia, including education and employment.
He spoke at program marking the observance of the Africa Human Right Day under the theme: “Promoting women rights – A collective responsibility” over the weekend. Cllr. Gonglo stressed that women had been marginalized and treated as property in the past.
Cllr. Gongloe said though Liberia has made some efforts, much had not been done in the protection of women’s rights.
“Anyway we are making gradual effort in this country in respecting women’s right but we haven’t made enough efforts, women have been in the back for many years until recently,” he noted.
Cllr. Gongloe expressed disappointment in state security for constantly brutalizing women under a woman leadership, saying it is disrespect to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for Police to brutalize women.
“It is a complete contradiction for Liberia to have woman as President and women are being brutalized by state securities.
It is disrespect to the President because if a security officer insults or disrespects a woman, the President herself feels disrespected,” Cllr. Gongloe noted.
He noted that though Liberia is signatory to the universe declaration of human rights, the country has changed with the violation of human rights on the increase.
The human right lawyer said the continued intimidation and violation of human and women’s rights remained a challenge for government.
For his part, the Acting Chairman of the Independent National commission on Human Right Bartholomew Colley said the INCHR remained committed to the process of protecting human rights in Liberia.
“For us as human right actors remain focused on the protection of human rights in our country, we encouraged all Liberians to report all human rights cases in our country,” he said.
He said the INCHR could not fight human rights with guns, saying only the law was available to the INHRC to fight any human right cases.
He called on every Liberian to stand up for the rights of every Liberian, saying it is everyone’s responsibility to uphold human rights.
“Every one of us should take a stance. Step forward and defend the rights of a refugee or migrant, a person with disabilities, a woman, an indigenous person, a child, a person of African descent, or anyone else at risk of discrimination or violence,” he stressed.