Monrovia – As the voters registration exercise enters its final week, Medica Liberia has launched a week long voter registration awareness campaign to boost women’s participation in the electoral process.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
According to the Medica Liberia’s Advocacy Officer, Yah Parwon, the awareness is intended to highlight the importance of women’s involvement in political decision making through the ballot box.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign in Old Road on Monday, February 27, Parwon urged the gathering, comprising mainly of women to amplify their voices in the pending general elections by obtaining their voter registration cards.
“You have to register if you want your voice to be heard.”
“After you have registered, you should ask your aspirants what they have in their platform for you and the community.”
“If we don’t register and vote, tomorrow when leaders who are elected do nothing for the women, we will hold ourselves responsible.
“So your vote is very important. Your votes will decide who will make laws; your votes will decide who will be President. So please go to register and vote,” Parwon asserted.
She said the awareness will be carried out in Medica Liberia’s twelve implementing communities within Montserrado County. including Old Road, Peace Island, Rock Crusher, Congo Town etc.
Also speaking at the start of the awareness in Gaye Town, Old Roald, the community’s Chairlady, Oretha Gd’Almeida, appealed to the National Elections Commission to extend the voter registration period to allow more eligible voters, especially women to register.
She noted that the process was marred by setbacks at the beginning of the exercise and as such there was a need to extend it in order to cover the lost time.
“I am also appealing to NEC to please extend the time.
The time has been wasted. People trucking people, the camera spoiling, and there are more people who have not registered. So, we are kindly asking you guys to extend the voter registration,” G d’Almeida urged.
She used the occasion to on her fellow women to register and make independent decisions in October.
“It goes to all our Liberians, girls, women and men, please don’t sell your voting card. Your voting card is your right. Please don’t give your cards up.”
“We are begging NEC to please take proactive action by going to each center to stop aspirants from trucking people. Because when they continue to truck people, then those that we don’t want will end up being elected. So NEC please do this for us.”
Medica Liberia (ML), formerly known as Medica Mondiale Liberia, is a local non-governmental feminist rights organization supporting women and girls in war and conflict regions.