Monrovia – A pro-women group, ‘He For She Crusaders Liberia’ (HEFOSEL) has frowned at the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for not fielding any female candidate in the impending special senatorial elections.
The group, through its National Coordinator, Tamba Forkpah Jedidiah Johnson said the move by the ruling party undermines the second edition of the ‘Liberian Women Manifesto’ launched by President George Weah during the observance of the 2020 International Women’s Day and several other international protocols including the Beijing Call to Action, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
Addressing a press conference recently in Monrovia, Mr. Johnson said the President party’s decision not to choose a female candidate is an affront to women and pro-women organization like HEFOSEL that has been advocating for women’s participation in national leadership.
Speaking further, the Human Rights Defender called on President Weah to live up to the true meaning of his self-proclaim title as Feminist-In-Chief and his promise made in his 2018 inaugural address that he will promote an all-inclusive government with high number of women’s participation.
The President, he added can do so by appointing more women to key managerial positions and encouraging his party to include female on its senatorial tickets for the pending elections.
By doing so, he noted that the President will not only be living up to his promises but implementing a key aspect of his government’s flagship development agenda- the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) which called for “Power to the People.”
“Is the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development only meant for men empowerment?” he questioned rhetorically.
“Why men should always be the major priority and not women? Should the power to the people be considered only by mere words to solicit international supports and lacks sincerity?”
Meanwhile, Mr. Johnson is calling on other political parties to consider female candidates on their tickets and at the same called on women of Liberia to unite in supporting qualified women candidates during December 8, 2020 senatorial elections.
“If women vote women, men will barely have any space in the Country. Liberia is for all Liberians, stop the blind eyes and incorporate gender sensitivity in all space,’ he urged.
At the same time, the HEFOSEL boss has called on the Government to rise up and do more in protecting the rights of women and girls that are being grossly violated on a daily basis.
Speaking further, he lamented that the increase of rape and other domestic violence committed against women and girls under this current administration was unacceptable and demonstrate that Liberia is far from achieving the SDGs Goal Five which highlights “Gender Equality.”
Late July, the ruling CDC, at the end of a series of primaries across the country released a list of Senatorial candidates it claimed is the ‘people’s voice.’
Among the all-male list is the former Foreign Minister Gbehzongar Milton Findley who resigned in order to take on the lone female member of the Senate, Nyonblee Karngar Lawrence of Grand Bassa County in the impending elections.