Liberia: Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce Appeals for Government Supports

Monrovia – Participants at a one-day Inter-Ministerial workshop for the Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce (GSSNT) have recommended to the government of Liberia to provide adequate logistics and financial support to enhance the operations of the Taskforce.

The over 35 participants at the workshop held on Wednesday, October 3, at the Ministry of National Defense were drawn from several security institutions in the country.

Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce is essential to Liberia’s Security Sector Reform process.

It is aimed at enhancing the security sector knowledge about the need to respond to the need of men and women of the sector.

In an effort to facilitate the implementation of the UN SCR 1325 and the Liberia National Action Plan (LNAP), the Taskforce serves as a major coordination forum for members of security sector to discuss and develop joint programs with specific objectives that promote women’s inclusion, develop mechanisms that help prevent and respond to cases of SGBVs.

Since the establishment of the Taskforce in March 2017, it has been supported immensely by the Government of Liberia and international partners to promote gender equality in Liberia.

The support covers the establishment of nine gender units at various security institutions, the provision of several trainings for both men and women of the sector; the establishment of a secretariat and many other benefits have been achieved through the projects that UNMIL and UN Women initiated in a period of 18 months.

During the workshop, participants were organized into four working groups to brainstorm on the need to sustain the operationalization of the Taskforce, thus ensuring that its goals and objectives meet the desired outcomes consistent with the National Gender Policy.

The participants called on the government of Liberia to lobby for financial support for the Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce from multi-national institutions including Orange Liberia, LoneStar MTN, ArcelorMittal, Golden Veroleum, Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC), Firestone Rubber Plantation Company, CEMENCO, among others, noting that if the Liberia National Action Plan must be implemented and achieved successfully, and security actors comply with gender issues, then the Government must do everything possible to ensure financial and logistical support are provided to the Taskforce.

The participants further proposed the sustainability plan for a continuous effective functioning of the Taskforce, the government must always ensure that gender mainstreaming in Liberia is given the necessary political will and ensure that the Government of Liberia take ownership of the gender taskforce and all of its activities including, coordination meetings, communication and visibility, support to the gender units as well as the decentralization of the network, among others.

Mrs. Lisa Jangai Gbermie, National Gender Consultant of the Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce facilitated the just-ended sustainability plan workshop which was organized by the Ministries of Justice, Defense and Gender Children and Social Protection in coordination with the Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce Secretariat with the support of UN Women.

The workshop objective was to bring together the taskforce members and key stakeholders from across the security sector institutions to identify ways in which the Taskforce can be sustained.

Speaking at the workshop, Mrs. Maude Somah, National Gender Advisor to the Gender and Security Sector National Taskforce, disclosed that there is a pending meeting amongst members of the Taskforce Steering Committee including the Ministers of Justice, Defense, Gender, Children and Social Protection to deliberate on the collective efforts to promote gender mainstreaming and equity, especially the sustainability of the Gender Taskforce.