MONROVIA – The Organization for Women Empowerment (OWE) attention has been drawn to the heartless, inhumane attacks on childhood and womanhood by men in the constant habit of sexually abusing women and girls.
Frustratingly, some women, in support of their husbands’ attitude, have aided the perpetrators by concealing the incidents from legal authorities. Such facilitators should also face the full weight of the law. A statement signed by OWE Executive Director- Florence M. Dorley said.
Now that the rape cases are increasing on a daily basis in our country which raise serious threat to free environment of our girls children movement, the government should be proactive in taking measurable steps to protect women and girls from domestic violence. The Organization for Women Empowerment (OWE) has a serious concern with the ways our women and girls have been treated in Liberia and with the length of time it takes to get justice and with nothing substantive coming out of these cases sometimes. We hope that our national government will see it fit to address these issues arising on a daily basis by instituting stringent measures and penalties against perpetrators.
Although OWE commitment to upholding our core value to protect underserved women and girls’ rights, some of those mothers of the abused children share guilt with the perpetrators and as such need to bear the consequences of their actions. It is our desire to also call on all women and child’s rights institutions and individuals to follow up with all such cases to the quo until justice is serve and our society is a safe space for every woman.
OWE kindly appeals to the Liberian Government not to take these cases lightly but to ensure that justice is served, as this may serve as a deterrent to curtail or eradicate the prevalence of abuse against women and children. OWE is at the same time calling on the UN Women, and the UN Human Rights including other International Human Rights Organizations to accordingly press the government to ensure an end to violence against women and children.
Meanwhile, OWE is encouraging local governments in the leeward counties to tighten their belts against rape cases and ensure that every woman’s right is protected and justice is served to victims of violence.