Monrovia – The Executive Director of Organization for Women and Children (ORWOCH), Mmonbeydo Joah Harrell has called for more women participation in the political affairs of the country.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Speaking at the climax of a two-day intensive civic awareness campaign aimed at encouraging women to vote in the 2018 Senatorial By-elections in Bong and Montserrado Counties, Mrs. Harrell said despite the tremendous effort women played in ending the civil war 15 years ago, it was inexcusable to see women still lacking behind in the ‘political ladder’ of the country.
“Fifteen years ago women were key instruments in achieving the peace that we have today. But unfortunately 15, years later we have less than 12 percent of women appointed to public positions in the Weah-led government. Today we have two women in the House of Senate and 28 men. Nine women were elected in the House of Representatives as compared to 64 men. This means that women voices have been left out of power and this must stop,” she declared.
Harrell, speaking to a team of reporters at the Headquarters of the National Elections Commission with her team on Sunday, July 29, said the campaign was also geared towards shining the light on the structural inequalities that exist in the Liberian society.
She said the low number of women in the Liberian Legislature and the Weah’s administration speak of the fact that women are still lacking behind as compare to the men despite making over half of the country’s population.
She called on President George M. Weah to appoint more women to public positions and urged the 54th Legislature to pass the Affirmative Action Bill.
Said Harrell: “We called on President Weah and key stakeholders to appoint more women in government; we want 50 percent to appointed positions. look at the statistics. Under 12 percent appointed by the President are women and 88 percent men. We have qualified women around who are willing to serve their nation. They should be included in government.”
“We also call on the Legislature to approve the Affirmative Action bill. We want that Affirmative Action Bill to be passed so that women can access powers.”
Also speaking, former Representative Candidate of Montserrado in the 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, Florence Kaydee called on the NEC to fully implement the law that requires each political party to have 30 percent women candidature in parliamentary election.
She lamented that women faces various forms of abuse including sexual by most political party officials when applying for a tickets and other positions; something she can be addressed when the NEC implements the 30 percent clause and the Legislature passes the Affirmative Action Bill.
We have 52 percent of the total population of women in Liberia. But we have very few in the Legislature. We are urging National Elections Commission to enforce the law calling on political parties to have 30 percent women participation in election.
“They started it, but it did not hold. Other political party women suffered sexual harassment, money extortion and other forms of abuse. These things need to stop so that we all can build our country together. Women are decision makers and custodians of the laws and value of our society. Let us not look down on women,” Kaydee urged.
ORWOCH is an organization that works to increase women’s participation in the democratic process, and the prevention of sexual and gender- based violence in Liberia. It’s is being supported by the British aid agency, OXFAM under the Funding Leadership for Women Project with funds from the Government of Netherlands.