The Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, is expected to kick off a weeklong National Consultation and Stakeholders Engagement across two counties.
By: Blamo N. Toe
According to a release issued Wednesday in Monrovia, the Stakeholders Engagement begins June 6 to 14, 2024, covering rural Montserrado and Gbarpolu Counties.
The engagement aims to foster a deep understanding of how local communities can effectively raise concerns, provide feedback, and lodge complaints regarding project implementation in their communities.
The release added that the activity will serve to disseminate vital information about the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) to the targeted beneficiaries and counties, ensuring a collaborative and transparent approach to the project implementation.
Key objectives of the engagement include round table discussions with key stakeholders in local communities across the targeted counties.
“This interactive platform will facilitate direct communication and address any community-specific issues. Furthermore, the engagement will derive a consultative way forward, ensuring smooth collaboration and effective mitigation of any issues that may arise during the project’s implementation,” the statement noted.
At the same time, the released indicated that outcomes from the countywide consultations will support the update of the LWEP Stakeholders Engagement Plan; enhance the Project’s Grievance and Redress Mechanism (GRM), and update the Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Sexual Harassment Action Plan, among other critical project documents.
“We are committed to ensuring that the voices of local communities and women are heard and integrated into the project’s framework and implementation. This engagement is a crucial step in fostering transparency, accountability, and collaboration among all stakeholders in line with the project implementation, Cllr. Margaret Nigba, National Project Coordinator said.
The Project Management Unit of the LWEP is further rallying the presence of all local stakeholders, community leaders, and residents of Rural Montserrado and Gbarpolu Counties to participate actively in this engagement as their insights and feedbacks are invaluable to the success of the Liberia Women Empowerment Project.
The Liberia Women Empowerment Project is a five-year US$44.6 Million women empowerment program implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection through a Project Management Unit and funded by the World Bank.
The Project is expected to be implemented in six counties: Gbarpolu, Bomi, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Rivercess and Montserrado, with a total of 267,200 beneficiaries from 750 communities.
The project aims to Foster positive social norms; Enhance basic services in health and education; Promote resilient livelihoods through community-led approaches and strengthen public institutions to advance gender equality.
A total of 36,000 women are expected to benefit from the livelihood and grants under the project.