Monrovia – The Country Director of Medica Liberia, Caroline Bowah Brown, is calling on the Government of Liberia to provide safe homes for females who are victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – [email protected]
Speaking at Medica Liberia’s International Women Day celebration held at Peace Island in Monrovia on Friday March 24, Madam Brown noted that the lack of safe homes for SGBV victims is one of the major challenges her organization is encountering.
“We want to use this opportunity to call upon the government to see the need to be able to include in the national budget the construction of safe homes.
The first step is to have one safe home for at least a year,” she said.
“Because once we have one safe home, then those women who are in need will be able to go for rescue; and will not return to the cycle of violence that they are experiencing day by day. We hope that the government is listening and can start to do something about it,” Brown averred.
She pointed out that with a safe home, women who have suffered abuse would be well taken care of as they would have a place to lay their heads and be given food and other basic needs.
According to her, women have equal rights as men, and as such they should be protected under the laws of Liberia, adding that women rights are being violated on a daily basis.
The Medica Liberia boss also used the occasion to urge men who are violating the rights of women to put an end to such humiliating act and take women as their mothers, sisters and daughters.
Speaking earlier, the guest speaker of the program, Joyce Quoie underlined the critical role women continue to play to the development of Liberia and the world at large.
She stressed that it was time for women to be bold and decisive and get involved in the development of their communities, noting that it was the boldness of Liberian women that led the end of the civil war.
“It can be recalled that in 2003, Liberian women were bold with leaders in power at that time, which resulted to the 14 years of peace we are enjoying as equal to the years of the civil war, she asserted.
“Moreover, Liberia is witnessing the development of their nation because of the critical involvement and role played by women.
“Our world would be unbalanced and undeveloped if women are still kept in the kitchen as was done in the past. Women are capable of doing many good things for the forward match of the world,” Quoie avowed.
She hailed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Laymah Gbowee and all women activists who continue to sacrifice and contribute to the development of women at the community level.
Meanwhile, several women from various communities in Montserrado County were honored for their contributions toward the promotion of women’s rights and empowerment of women.
Those honored included Albertha Cole, Hawa Sampson, Janjay Collins, Joyce Quoie and Kona Yeawolo. Also honored are Mala Jallah, Martha Dennis, Sara Roberts and Varbah Flomo.
The International Day of Women (IWD) is observed around the world on March 8 every year to recognize the struggles and achievements women have experienced to gain equal rights.
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