Monrovia – Liberian women continue to enjoy the country’s political platform since Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, took over in 2006.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
“Why can’t we hold together and elect another female in power that will take over from President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf?
We are in majority and we have voice in the home, we control the young people in the homes. With that we can join forces and put another woman in power”- women rights advocate, Madam Mary Brownell
With a substantial representation in the three branches of government, the quest for high posts in government by the women has been unending.
What appears to be a careful search for a female who may be groomed to ‘take over’ from President Sirleaf, is underway amongst Liberian women.
The question of who is the best suited female to walk in Sirleaf’s shoes is a looming one. Though the ultimate goal is clear – women must take the lead equally with men.
It is not known whether or not a possible female successor of President Sirleaf in 2017, will also be tagged also as the “Iron lady of Africa.”
Notwithstanding, the women have become more competitive with their male counterparts in terms of massive involvement in the decision-making process of the country. Many credit their inspiration not only to Sirleaf but also from other distinguished women, local and international.
Their fever for leadership in the ‘higher height’ of Liberia, ye the world, and their passion to democratically ‘do all it takes’ to remain at the peak of political positions, mainly the presidency, is unbending, even in public speeches.
Heated debate among women for a woman to replace President Sirleaf Tuesday sparked up at a women forum hosted by the secretariat of the Golden Image 2016 Award.
Hundreds of women on Tuesday gathered at the forum, discussing the role of women in the health sector of Liberia.
The forum brought together great Liberian women including Liberia Cultural Ambassador Juli Endee, Speaker of the Liberia’s Children Parliament, Ms Satta Sherif, Assistant Minister of Gender, Madagline Dagoseh, Daintowon Domeh Pay-bayee of FLY, Madam Seatta Saah, Assistant Minister Kula Fofana, Representative Munah Pelham and Representative Josephine Francis, amongst many other Liberian women.
Push for another female leader
Making special remarks at the forum, women rights advocate, Madam Mary Brownell, said women’s quest for equal representation at the Legislature will not be realized in the absence of unity.
Madam Brownell wondered why women should struggle to accomplish a political goal when they are in the majority.
According to her, with collective voices, Liberian women can achieve their desired goals.
“Why can’t we hold together and elect another female in power that will take over from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf? We are in majority and we have voice in the home, we control the young people in the homes. With that we can join forces and put another woman in power,” she noted.
The veteran Liberian Educator wonders why Liberian women are still under represented when they are in the majority, saying men have ruled Liberia for over hundred years in Liberia through the presidency and for only twelve years a woman has ruled.
Madam Brownell noted that it is about time all women come together and support another woman candidate to replace President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2017.
“We need to support a female candidate that will take over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The men in this country have governed our country for so many years, let us not give them chance to continue ruling us,” she noted.
The suggestion from Madam Brownell did not go down well with most of the women attending the forum as different women from different sectors came down with opposing views on electing another woman as president or as lawmaker.
Most of the women believe that it is not necessary at this time to elect woman in power again as most of the women that were elected have failed their fellow women.
The Deputy Chief of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, Madam Seatta Saah disagreed with Madam Brownell’s quest for women to continue in power.
Women have failed
Madam Saah said she has vowed to support a man in the 2017 elections, saying the women governing now that were elected have failed the women of Liberia.
She argued that the women who are in elected offices now do not want to identify with their fellow women especially the traditional women.
“For me I have decided to support a man because the women we put in power today have failed us already. When they want power from us, we are their friends but when they get the power we are enemies and they no longer want to identify with us again,” she noted.
She suggested that Madam Brownell call all the women to a meeting and identify the problem women are faced with to find solution to those problems.
A female lawmaker of Montserrado, Munah Pelham-Youngblood pleaded with the women not to punish their fellow women for wrong a single woman has done.
Representative Youngblood noted that women in the Legislature are in minority among the men, and as such decision making is always dominated by the men, thus encouraging the Liberian women to vote more women into the legislature to make it easier to push women’s issues on the agenda.
“We are not many in the legislature, and the few of us that are there cannot make any major decision among the men there.
For example, if all of the women decide that we want X-ray machine or scanner at the JFK and all of the men say no against the women there, it will not work, or when all of the men in the legislature decide to pass a bill for all women to stay indoors, we will stay indoors because they are more than us, so let us try and elect more women in the legislature,” she noted.
