Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has launched the Women Situation Room (WSR) in Liberia with thanks and appreciation to all Liberians including women for their selfless role played in keeping the peace.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
The Women Situation, founded 2011 in Liberia, is a women’s peace building mechanism to mitigate conflict before, during and after elections in Africa.
Performing the official launch of the WSR on Sunday, October 9, President Sirleaf noted that the Situation Room is no longer a Liberian endeavor, but and African and world endeavors; and hailed the women for making it a success.
“The Situation Room is something that all Liberians, Africans and in extension to the world can appreciate. It is no longer a Liberian and African endeavor; it’s now a world endeavor. We have these great ladies, many of whom are here and who have worked so hard to make it happen; to be able to bring consciousness to everybody about the importance and the right to vote and to vote wisely.”
“Today when I was in a church in Buchanan, I told the congregation that we have to now say thank you to God and all Liberians because many of us have been through many elections; but this election has been different.
This election has demonstrated the maturity, the anxiety and the enthusiasm of Liberians for moving our country to the next stage in a democratic transition. And it could only happen if all Liberians were peaceful,” the President averred.
The President observed that although there have been skirmishes in some parts of the country in these elections period, the entire process has been successful as evidenced by the political rallies and campaigns all over the country.
Giving the overview, the Initiator of the WSR and Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC), Cllr Yvette Chesson-Wureh explained that the WSR was founded in 2011 in Liberia by eminent Liberian women and has since been extended to several parts of Africa including Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh noted that it is a process that mobilizes women in collaboration with youth to ensure their active participation in peaceful electoral process in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 which affirms the role of women in peace building in their countries; and the ‘Gender is My Agenda Campaign’ (GIMAC) of the African Union.
She stressed that it is a non-partisan and neutral process at all times and disclosed that several eminent women in Liberia and across Africa will form part of the process.
She thanked the donors and partners including the UNDP, the Republic of Liberia and the Institute for Growing Patriotism, headed by former Foreign Minister Olubanke -King Akerele for their continuous support.
“We have embraced the youth of Liberia. And I am very pleased that they have joined us, their mothers to move this country forward.
The women situation room is a process; it is not just a room. It is a combination of all the processes that we do for peace. We want everyone here to know that it is the women of Liberia again who have stepped up to the plate,” She averred.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the WSR-Liberia 2017, Veda Ayele Nyoth Simpson disclosed that there are two situation rooms, in Monrovia and Suakoko respectively; with five hubs in Bomi, Bong, Maryland, Montserrado and Sinoe Counties.
She noted that in partnership with the Kofi Annan Center in Accra, 200 elections workers have been accredited, along with 20 supervisors and 73 peace monitors in each of the electoral districts of Liberia; while 292 elections observers are spread out across the country.
With these preparations, Madam Simpson asserted that the women are ready to monitor the process and called on all political parties to remain peaceful and channel their grievances through the court and not the streets.
“We are on the ground; the women are moving and we are watching. The women are encouraging the political parties to be peaceful. We are urging the political parties if there’s any issue, you take it to the court, not to the streets,” she urged.
The program held at the TM Mall in Central Monrovia was attended by eminent women from across Liberia and the African Continent including Foreign Minister Marjon Kamara, former Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele and Paynesville City Major Cyvette Gibson, and representative of the diplomatic corps and UNMIL.
In brief remarks, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Yacoub El Hillo pledged the UN continuous support through its relevant agencies to the Women Situation Room and acknowledged that Liberia has made tremendous efforts in sustaining the peace and is now playing key roles in world affairs including peace keeping missions in Mali and South Sudan respectively.
He noted that out of the over 500 political campaign activities, only 9 incidents were reported to be marred by some altercations; describing the process as peaceful.