Liberia: 16 Days of Activism Begins with Enthusiasm to End Violence Against Women, Girls

Monrovia – As part of activities observing the16 days of activism to end violence against women and girls, activists in their mass stormed Monrovia and its environs on Monday November 26, 2018 to call on the Liberian Government to ensure that women and girls rights are protected.

Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh 00231770745986 [email protected]

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (GBV) is an international campaign to end violence against women and girls. It runs every year from November 25 to December 10, Human Rights Day.

At the event, Caroline Buwah-Brown of the group “We Are Unprotected” read a statement to commemorate the start of the event.

Wearing all black, women, girls and men gathered at the famous Fish Market in Sinkor, Monrovia to carry on their “Sit in Action”.

Similar activities will be carried out in other parts of the country, one of the organizers said.

Addressing the gathering, Madam Brown said violence against women and girls are becoming rampant and regular in the Liberian society.

According to her, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as an act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women.

Threats of such acts include, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Mrs. Brown said the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) GBV Report of 2017 indicated that sexual violence, including rape, accounts for almost 70 percent of all (GBV) cases.

“From January to September 2018; 1, 484 GBV cases were reported. Rape constitutes 971 cases, 877 of those cases were perpetrated against girls below the age of 18,” she said.

“Rape is the single most reported crime in Liberia. Babies as young as 6 months old have been raped. In 2015, 803 rape cases were reported and only 34 were successfully persecuted, representing 4%,” Madam Brown said.

According to Madam Brown, due to stigma and discrimination as well as ineffective systems victims get frustrated, thereby causing many not to report the menace.

With poor health facilities to provide care, weak justice system, low capacities of police, health and court officials are unable to effectively respond to SGBV cases, Madam Brown said.

She said because of the many forms of violence against women and girls; many have died, while others continue to live with the emotional scars.

“Severe psychological consequences of rape or other forms of gender-based violence seriously jeopardize women’s wellbeing. Some of these effects of violence range from feelings of shame and guilt, anxiousness, phobia, insomnia to posttraumatic stress syndrome and social withdrawal, among others. The social impact is equally devastating,” Madam Brown said.

According to her, survivors are often being stigmatized, thus becoming more vulnerable to acts of violence.

Madam Brown added that some adverse effects of sexual reproductive consequences include teenage pregnancy something she says make most girls to drop out of school.

“This would further affect opportunities for young girls to contribute to national development,” she said.

Madam Brown added that the participation of women in politics and national decision-making remains very low.

In 2017 general elections, only 163 amounting to 16 percent out of 1,026 approved candidates were women, including one running for president in a crowded field of over 20 men, she recalled. As of today, only 10 women are there in the legislature.

She added, “No justice for Ma Nowai Floma, the marketer who was murdered in 1998, travesty of justice in Angel Tokpa’s case, 12 women who were publicly humiliated in 2013 and accused of witchcraft and a13 year old raped by her uncle who was a lawmaker in 2017.”