Monrovia – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Liberia National Children Representative Forum, the Child Protection Network (CPN) and UNICEF-Liberia, jointly commemorated International Children’s Day on Thursday, November 20, 2025, with a major program held at the Monrovia City Hall.

By Francis G. Boayue

The global observance, which is dedicated to promoting international togetherness, awareness  and improving children’s welfare, was celebrated under the theme for 2025: “My Day, My Rights” and “For Every Child, Every Right.”

Speaking at the event, Acting Gender Minister Frederick S. Cooper, representing Minister Gbeme Horace Kollie, reassured the gathering of Liberian children and stakeholders of the government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of the nation’s youth.

“Today we stand together to say we must do better to improve the livelihood of every child in Liberia through participation in each decision that affects every child out there,” Acting Minister Cooper stated.

He stressed that the Ministry of Gender is “ready to ensure every child in Liberia can live in dignity and have a better livelihood.” Cooper also took the opportunity to commend UNICEF-Liberia and other partners for their essential role in supporting the well-being of Liberian children.

Reflecting on both progress made and existing challenges,

Andy Brooks, UNICEF Representative in Liberia, emphasized the crucial necessity of incorporating children’s voices into the country’s major development plans, particularly those affecting their welfare.

Mr. Brooks was forthright in his call for government accountability. He urged the Government of Liberia to “lead the charge in fully taking the responsibility for protecting the rights of all Liberian children.”

He further asserted that all governmental institutions “should always take keen consideration of the welfare of all Liberian children,” underscoring the need for a sustained, government-wide commitment to child protection and rights.

The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection has trained over fifty (50) Directors, Coordinators and Technical Staff of Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) from five (5) implementing government ministries of the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) under Component 4 of the project.

 The Liberia Women Empowerment Project is a five-year US$44.6M women empowerment program implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection through a Project Management Unit and funded by the World Bank.

The training, which was held at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia from August 22-23, 2024, aims to strengthen public institutions involved in the project’s implementation to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in Liberia.

The initiative brought together and enhanced the capacities of approximately 50 technical staff from the Ministries of Agriculture (MOA), Education (MOE), Internal Affairs (MIA), Health (MOH), and Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).

It highlighted key areas, including gender mainstreaming, monitoring, tracking and evaluating project outputs and outcomes indicators, conducting gender analysis using gender analysis frameworks, and understanding Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response mechanisms.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Gender, the Director for Research and Statistics at the Ministry, Samuel Ekyinabah stated that the achievement of gender equality which the project focuses on is a gradual process.

He recounted previous tasks specifically assigned to individuals according to their gender and in keeping with the tradition and norms of the society are now being collectively done by both genders irrespective of their affiliation.

“I want to encourage and challenge our participants to take advantage of the knowledge gained through this training and positively impact the society; these are little things that matter a lot,” Mr. Ekyinabah said. 

At the climax of the training, the participants lauded the Liberian government through the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection for organizing the event as they individually shared their experiences with the media.

The Director for the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) at the Ministry of Agriculture Madam Catera Woods stressed that one major aspect of gender-based violence that is not overlooked by many in the society is attempted rape. “The most dangerous rape is attempted rape because once you make an attempt to rape the person, the person becomes vulnerable to self-harm due to the trauma”.

She also promised to take the knowledge acquired during the training to mentor others at the Ministry and train, adding that the trainer of trainer (TOT) initiative will educate those farmers involved in agriculture activities across the country about the kinds of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Also sharing her thoughts was the GSIU Director for the Ministry of Health, Madam Quitina Cooper-Davis. She stated that the training was timely and will enhance the way the GSIUs at all government institutions work with others and help identify the different forms of violence.

“The awareness for the kinds of violence is not at the peak that we as a government or even the public want it to be, and apparently that is why others see these kinds of violence as customary,” Madam Davis recommended to the government to amply and accelerate awareness on the forms of violence and the consequences for perpetrators.

She further called for the empowerment of women who, according to her, are mostly vulnerable or exposed to social and economic violence. Madam Davis believes the empowerment of women and girls will make them self-reliant and stable in providing their needs and wants thus reducing their challenge of social and economic violence from their male counterparts.

“If a woman or girl is doing something economically to empower herself, the old people have a way of calling that lady by attaching the name of her business or work at the end of her name, such as ‘Mary the bread seller’ or ‘Ma Korpo the mechanic’,” she stated.

Also, the GSIU Director at the Ministry of Education, Madam Lorpu G. Mannah promised to champion the training of others with the knowledge acquired, and take the message across all government high schools with the purpose of minimizing Gender-Based Violence in those learning institutions.

She also called on the Liberian government with support from its international partners, to decentralize the training in the remaining 14 political subdivisions of the country. “Taking this kind of training to the other counties will educate others who may not be aware of the existence of gender based-violence in schools”.

Madam Mannah further recommended to the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection to engage its international partners, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to bring into effect, the Sexual Exploitation Abuse Police for the protection of all genders – males and females.

Monrovia –Laura Golakeh has put in the work – and now she’s finally rewarded. President Joseph Boakai’s nominee for Deputy Minister of Gender for Administration comes with a bag of experience which could bring a fresh face to a ministry always under the microscope – for all the wrong reasons.

Golakeh is a gender expert and education advocate. A first-generation college graduate born during the civil crisis in Liberia; Ms. Golakeh, has shown that no matter one’s circumstances, one can always rise with commitment and determination.

Her passion for gender issues were ignited at the Angie Brooks International Center for Women, where she worked on several women’s empowerment, peace and security programs in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya. After her graduation from college at the tender age of 20, Ms. Golakeh pursued her first graduate degree in Gender and Peacebuilding from the United Nations Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. Upon her return to Liberia, she was given her first opportunity to work in Government where she worked as the focal person for WASH, Education and Gender in the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU), in the office of Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Driven by the famous quote, “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”, she founded a community organization promoting early literacy among less-privileged children especially girls. 

The organization promotes early grade reading among children and promotes the advancement of quality education. Because of her contribution to Liberia, she was one of 500 young African leaders selected from more than 50,000 youth in Africa to be a part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, an initiative of Pres. Barack Obama in 2014. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.  As a fellow she spent six weeks in the United States, at the Arizona State University learning skills in Civic Leadership and interacting with top US Leaders including Amb. Susan Rice, Amb. Linda T. Greenfield and Pres. Barack Obama in Washington DC at a Presidential Town Hall. She also presented to Mrs. Michelle Obama the opportunities and challenges that girls face in accessing education in Africa and her conversation with the former First Lady was one of the driving forces behind her, Let Girls Learn initiative, which she launched to improve girls’ access to education around the world.

Golakeh founded a consulting firm in 2018 specialized in educational leadership, evaluation as well as gender and development. Through her firm, Ms. Golakeh provided consultancies to many international organizations including UN Women where she worked as National Consultant to develop the Liberia National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and build the capacity of staff of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as other government agencies and civil society organizations to implement the action Plan. She also worked as Liberia Education Context Specialist for USAID on a mid-term evaluation of the Accelerated Quality Education Project and most recently as Gender Expert for the German Institute for Development. Laura provided consulting services to the World Bank country office in Liberia through its Social Protection and Jobs program, Concern Worldwide, United Nations Development Program, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) among others.

She has contributed to the development of several policy papers including National Gender Policy, Liberia Gender Equality Profile, Liberia National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325, Liberia National Action Plan on Persons with Disabilities, Liberia Conflict Assessment, and several other reports.

Ms. Golakeh has also worked in various program and media capacities at non-governmental organizations including the Wellesley Center for Women in Boston, Massachusetts, the MMCRP Project and the Liberia Media Center. Ms. Golakeh is currently a part-time instructor of Gender Based Violence and Counseling at the Graduate Program at Mother Pattern College of Health Sciences.

Ms. Golakeh has a Master of Arts in Gender and Peacebuilding from the University for Peace, a Master of Education in International Education Policy from the prestigious Harvard University and is a graduate of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia. Ms. Golakeh obtained her graduate degree in Sociology from the African Methodist Episcopal University. 

She is a former member of the UN Women Civil Society Advisory Committee and a board member on several boards in Liberia and the United States of America.

MONROVIA – Parents of the seven-year-old little girl who was allegedly raped and killed by some unknown person(s) on July 23rd, 2022, in the Nimba United Community, Mount Barclay, are still waiting for justice as it relates to the brutal murder of their child.

The seven-year-old’s body was discovered floating in an abandoned septic tank, a few feet behind a ‘Jalloh Shop’ during the early morning hours of July 24. The child’s unbloated body was removed from the septic tank by the police and it was established she had been raped and her neck broken.
According to the victim’s grandmother, when they called the police on the scene where the body was discovered, the police said they did not have a vehicle to collect people of interest, but they requested for money to purchase four gallons of gasoline for which she only provided money for three gallons.
“The police came and carried a few persons of interest for questioning, and some of the people who the police carried are back in the community because we hear their lawyer stood for them, but since then we have not heard anything from the police yet,” the grandma said.

When contacted, Press and Public Affairs Officer Moses Carter, on the allegation of the people of interest being released from police custody; he said it was true, because their lawyers stood for them, until a probable cause can be established.
“It was established by a medical person that the child had been raped or tampered with before she was murdered. But you know rape is a very sensitive matter. We cannot keep the people of interest beyond 48 hours, so their lawyers stood for them until we can conclude the investigation and if need be we will call them back,” Carter said.

When asked about the police alleged extortion, he said police officers who are accused, usually deny taking money from victims, but said it is very wrong for the police to take money from distressed citizens.
The grandmother who still sees the disappearance and death of her grandchild a mystery narrated how her daughter and husband usually brought their kids to her place when they are leaving for work and picked them up when they return in the evening, and Saturday July 23rd was no different.

“It was around four in the afternoon when my grandson toilet in his pamper and I did not see the pamper the mother left beside the smaller ones, so I gave Ma Hawa a L$100 and told her to run right to Jalloh shop to buy one pamper. But after a while when I could not see her coming, I put the baby in the tub and told her sister to look at the baby while I went to look for Ma Hawa, who I say I was going to beat for wasting time. But when I reached to Jallah shop right over there, he was not in his shop, so I kept knocking and a lady passing told me, maybe he is inside praying, so this is why he is not answering you.

“When I left Jalloh shop, I asked at the carpenter shop, the block factory and small business people selling on the road near Jalloh shop, if they saw my granddaughter, but they told me no. I was surprised that nobody saw the child walking on the road, when they all were sitting near the same road when the child passed,” she said.

Regarding the grandmother’s concern of neighbors denying of not seeing the child, Carter said it is difficult to find the main culprit, because everyone doing business around Jalloh shop denied ever seeing the child passing when in fact, it was impossible not to have seen the child pass on a broad street like that.

The grandmother is calling for the government to investigate to bring the culprit to book for the brutal rape and murder of her grand baby.

“What did that lil child do to them, for them to rape her and break her neck like that? I mean we looked everywhere, including the abandoned septic tank and the unfinished buildings, that we stayed up outside waiting and thinking maybe she had lost the money and was scared to come home. I cannot say we have neighbors, because our neighbors never came around when we were looking for the child, even when her body was found in the septic tank, they did not come around, but God is not sleeping,” said grandmother Helena Paye.

The latest victim is not the only under aged victim who has died as a result of rape. In December 2021, a 13-year-old girl bled to death after being raped in Gbapoplu County, while a 14-year-old girl in Montserrado was raped and later died in January 2022, which led to women groups protesting in front of the Capitol Building demanding justice.

MONROVIA – Parents of the seven-year-old little girl who was allegedly raped and killed by some unknown person(s) on July 23rd, 2022, in the Nimba United Community, Mount Barclay, are still waiting for justice as it relates to the brutal murder of their child.
The seven-year-old’s body was discovered floating in an abandoned septic tank, a few feet behind a ‘Jalloh Shop’ during the early morning hours of July 24. The child’s unbloated body was removed from the septic tank by the police and it was established she had been raped and her neck broken.
According to the victim’s grandmother, when they called the police on the scene where the body was discovered, the police said they did not have a vehicle to collect people of interest, but they requested for money to purchase four gallons of gasoline for which she only provided money for three gallons.
“The police came and carried a few persons of interest for questioning, and some of the people who the police carried are back in the community because we hear their lawyer stood for them, but since then we have not heard anything from the police yet,” the grandma said.
When contacted, Press and Public Affairs Officer Moses Carter, on the allegation of the people of interest being released from police custody; he said it was true, because their lawyers stood for them, until a probable cause can be established.
“It was established by a medical person that the child had been raped or tampered with before she was murdered. But you know rape is a very sensitive matter. We cannot keep the people of interest beyond 48 hours, so their lawyers stood for them until we can conclude the investigation and if need be we will call them back,” Carter said.
When asked about the police alleged extortion, he said police officers who are accused, usually deny taking money from victims, but said it is very wrong for the police to take money from distressed citizens.
The grandmother who still sees the disappearance and death of her grandchild a mystery narrated how her daughter and husband usually brought their kids to her place when they are leaving for work and picked them up when they return in the evening, and Saturday July 23rd was no different.
“It was around four in the afternoon when my grandson toilet in his pamper and I did not see the pamper the mother left beside the smaller ones, so I gave Ma Hawa a L$100 and told her to run right to Jalloh shop to buy one pamper. But after a while when I could not see her coming, I put the baby in the tub and told her sister to look at the baby while I went to look for Ma Hawa, who I say I was going to beat for wasting time. But when I reached to Jallah shop right over there, he was not in his shop, so I kept knocking and a lady passing told me, maybe he is inside praying, so this is why he is not answering you. When I left Jalloh shop, I asked at the carpenter shop, the block factory and small business people selling on the road near Jalloh shop, if they saw my granddaughter, but they told me no. I was surprised that nobody saw the child walking on the road, when they all were sitting near the same road when the child passed,” she said.

Regarding the grandmother’s concern of neighbors denying of not seeing the child, Carter said it is difficult to find the main culprit, because everyone doing business around Jalloh shop denied ever seeing the child passing when in fact, it was impossible not to have seen the child pass on a broad street like that.
The grandmother is calling for the government to investigate to bring the culprit to book for the brutal rape and murder of her grand baby.
“What did that lil child do to them, for them to rape her and break her neck like that? I mean we looked everywhere, including the abandoned septic tank and the unfinished buildings, that we stayed up outside waiting and thinking maybe she had lost the money and was scared to come home. I cannot say we have neighbors, because our neighbors never came around when we were looking for the child, even when her body was found in the septic tank, they did not come around, but God is not sleeping,” said grandmother Helena Paye.
The latest victim is not the only under aged victim who has died as a result of rape. In December 2021, a 13-year-old girl bled to death after being raped in Gbapoplu County, while a 14-year-old girl in Montserrado was raped and later died in January 2022, which led to women groups protesting in front of the Capitol Building demanding justice.

In January 2019, an 11-year-old girl was raped to death in Nimba County, among others, instances not mentioned.

Monrovia – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) in collaboration with Liberia National Children Representative Forum (LNCRF) with support from UNICEF and her partners, will on November 23, 2021 commemorate World Children’s Day.

World Children’s Day is globally celebrated on 20th of November every year but Liberia will celebrate the day on Tuesday to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly.

The day is being observed under a Global Theme: ‘A better future for every child, kids take over,’ while Liberia is commemorating the day under a National theme: ‘children taking over, a hope for Liberia’s future’.

The WCD celebration is primarily led by the World leading Child Protection Agency UNICEF. It is a day of action for children, on behalf of children, and led by children. 

The day was primarily instituted as an entry-point of promoting, advocating and celebrating the rights and the welfare of children, giving them the opportunity to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens.

The objective of the 2021 World Children’s Day celebration is to afford kids the opportunity to take over. As it is globally observed, children across the world including Liberia are afforded the opportunity to take over in high-profiled roles in prominent areas to include: the media, legislature, business community, sports and entertainment normally held by adults to shine a spotlight on issues that matter to them. 

Additionally, schools, public buildings and offices of child protection agencies (local and international) in and around Liberia, and the world, will light up BLUE during the observance of the day to show support for child rights.

Activities marking the commemoration of the day began on Friday, November 19, 2021, with the lighting of the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town by the children of Liberia. On Monday, November 22, the children were afforded the opportunity to temporarily sit in as legislators at the National Legislature, at which time; they held deliberations on the passage of the Children Right Law amongst other issues confronting their wellbeing.

During the deliberation, Representatives of LNCRF insisted on the need to have a budgetary allocation in the national budget so as to cater to the operations of the LNCRF. Additionally, the children spoke on other issues like implementing the portion of the law that speaks to abolishing harmful traditional practices amongst others. The official indoor program will take place at the Ministerial Complex theatre beginning at 9am. This year the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection will use the Day to resound the George M. Weah Government’s commitment to protecting the lives and welfare of children especially ending all forms of violence against children

Monrovia – The Liberian Children’s Parliament Forum (LCPF) has frowned at Government of Liberia’s “total silence on the numerous violations against children in Liberia,” during this State of Emergency.

“Where is the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, when violence affecting children in Liberia is committed by some government officials, who are using their powers to deny children Justice?” the LCPF statement, which is signed by its Speaker, Prince Y. Saydee, says.

Saydee and his friends think that delay in getting into these matters will lead to denial for justice.

According to them, Article 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child,  calls for every child having the right to freedom of expression and this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.

They further said in their press statement that as an institution fighting for human rights of Liberian children, they have realized that children are being abused daily.

“As a representation of the children in Liberia, the children’s parliament remains charge with the responsibility to advocate and speak out on issues affecting children in Liberia.”

Saydee said they are bringing it to the attention of the national authorities in line with the 2011 Children’s Law, Article 11 sub session 23.3 (D) that grants them the right as officials to bring to the attention of authorities, organizations concerned with child rights, and the media, any violation against child rights.

He accused the joint security and civilian adults of violence against children during this State of Emergency and before.

Saydee listed some of what the parliament thinks are brutalities against children for which they must speak out against. “The brutal action of the Liberia National Police by allegedly shooting one of Liberia’s future leaders, in Kingsville Township, District #1, Montserrado County.

“Student Abraham Toure was shot by an officer of the LNP during a call out for justice and speedy trial by peaceful citizens of the Kingsville Township over the alleged ritualistic murder of a nine-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl in the same district.”

Among his many charges, he stated that violent acts have been meted out against children as far back as 2011. “A 38-year-old Victor Trokon, an officer of the Liberia National Police was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in Paynesville. On July 17, 2012, a police officer call Harry Bai, who was assigned at the James Payne Police Deport in Sinkor was accused of rape.

“On January 13, 2019, a senior Liberian police officer was jailed for allegedly raping his 9-year-old step daughter.”

Commenting on some of recently happenings, LFPF condemned the act allegedly committed by LNP Officer Sonie Jallah, who allegedly kicked a hot water pot and wasted the boiling water on a three-year-old toddler, which resulted to his death in West Point on Monday, April 20^th. Little Francis Mensah died few days following the incident, which occurred when state security personnel were enforcing observance of the State of Emergency.

“Secondly, on March 1^st 2020 three children were involved into a tragic motor accident involving the Deputy Minister for Codification at the Ministry of Justice, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan. Currently the Minister is defending his action as rightful act and using his power as Minister to deny the kids justice. We have gone 70 days without justice for the kids and lack of proper medication for the kids.”

“Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when children are being exploited? Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when children are being sexually harassed? Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when police brutality against women and children are on the increase daily? Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when children are marginalized? Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when children are traffic from the rural parts of Liberia to the urban areas in the name of going to school but are later turned to street child selling and vulnerable to society? Is this the ‘Change for Hope’ they told us about when child labor is practiced every day and on an increasing rate?

They again called on the authorities for speedy trials of all cases involving children, including investigation and Justice for Mrs. Jamesetta Taylor’s three children, who were in the accident involving the deputy Justice Minister.

“We hope the justice system specifically the (police/court) will not and must not compromise these cases. They have been doing a good job; we think there is a need to do more with investigation in order to protect the lives of children.” The Liberian National Children’s Parliament Forum came into existence by Act of the Legislature nine years ago in 2011. The act seeks for children protection, education, health, survival, growth and development. It promotes children’s participation, forbids violence against children, frowns on the usage of children in trafficking, child labor, early child marriage, children on the move, stateless children, sexual exploitation and abuse, children deprivation, children discrimination, and all odds against the well-being of all children.