Monrovia – Several officials of the Liberian government and international partners on Tuesday, July 9, gathered at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia to endorse and validate Phase Two of the National Action Plan (NAP) for women peace and security.
The plan is a 5-year framework with a budget of over US$28.2 million. Liberia developed the first phase of NAP in 2009 with the help of local and international partners, which ran for a period of five years.
Sangeeta Thapa, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women, said despite global evidence of the benefits of investing in women, the failure to allocate sufficient resources to implement the women peace and security agenda poses challenges to the efforts in peacebuilding and women empowerment.
“Prevention of conflict must be our priority, not the use of force. Greater attention must be paid to the prevention of conflict, and the use of force must always be a last resort when all other options have failed,” Sangeeta said at the event.
A global study conducted in 2015 indicates that women’s participation is key to sustainable peace because without their engagement in all stages of negotiations to end violent conflict, the dangers of relapse are greatly heightened.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) unanimously adopted in 2000, highlights the disproportionate impact that conflicts have on women and girls, thereby stressing emphasizing the need to ensure the full participation and inclusion of women and girls in the peace and security agenda.
Eight other Resolutions were adopted by the Security Council to address different issues on Women, Peace and Security and issues around conflict-related sexual violence, limited funding for gender-responsive training, prevention programs on violent extremism among others.
Meanwhile, Liberia’s Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection disclosed that research has shown that the “fragility of the Nation-State stems from citizens” especially women and youth perception of marginalization, lack of opportunities among others.
Said Minister Williametta Saydee Tarr: “As a way of curbing such a menacing mindset which threatens the socioeconomic and political stability of the state, there is a need to accelerate our work with community leaders and women living in rural areas in order to ensure that hand pumps are provided for communities where social conflicts are arising as a result of limited access to basic social services including safe drinking water, health, and educational facilities.”
“In addition, the establishment of peace huts in affected communities has been strategic to peacebuilding and conflict resolution in Liberia.”
The event at the Mamba Point Hotel attracted over a 150 from the diplomatic corps, government ministries and agencies as well as actors of civil society organizations.
The event was facilitated by UN Women with financial support from the Embassy of Sweden and the UN Peacebuilding Fund.