Monrovia– The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in collaboration with UN Women and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), has provided digital tools to youth organizations in Liberia.

This initiative is part of the Youth Promotion Initiative (YPI), which aims to leverage digital opportunities to enhance youth civic participation and support peacebuilding efforts in Liberia.

The project under the theme “Accelerating Digital Opportunities for Youth Civic Participation as a Lever for Building and Sustaining Peace in Liberia,” the initiative convened 12 youth- and women-led Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Montserrado and Lofa Counties to explore digital tools for sustaining and accelerating peace.

The participating Civil Society Organizations, CSOs from Montserrado included the National Union of the Disabled of Liberia (NUOD), Girls in Tech Club, Federation of Liberia Youth (FLY), Liberia National Student Union (LINSU), West African Network for Peace (WANEP), African Youth Fellowship (AFY), Center of Exchange of Intellectual Opinion (CEIO), Books Before Boys, and the Mano River Youth Parliament (MRUYP). From Lofa County, the Yeala Peace Hut, Borders Defender Community Forum, and Konia Peace Hut joined the initiative, bringing their rich experiences in grassroots peacebuilding.

The project, funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, UNFPA, UN Women, and OHCHR, and implemented by YMCA Liberia, provided much-needed digital tools to the CSOs for empowerment. The donations included Smart TVs, printers, smart projectors, NAS SSK Drives for document saving/archiving, Offline Content Rachel Devices, and smart phone card printers. These modern ICT tools are expected to significantly enhance the operational capacity of these organizations, improving digital advocacy, research, and peacebuilding efforts across Liberia.

The initiative’s official event was well attended by a cross-section of donors and dignitaries, including the Country Director of UNFPA, representatives from UN Women, OHCHR, and the UN Peacebuilding Fund, as well as Honorable Bryant McGill from the Ministry of Youth & Sports. Additionally, members of the Peacebuilding Working Group, women’s organizations, and the general public actively mini, reaffirming their commitment to youth engagement in peacebuilding.

The event underscored the crucial role that digital tools and ICT modernization play in fostering sustainable peace and civic engagement. It highlighted how young people and women-led organizations are utilizing digital technologies to bridge information gaps, advocate for peace, and engage in meaningful dialogue with decision-makers.

As Liberia continues its journey towards sustained peace and development, initiatives such as YPI serve as a blueprint for integrating technology with grassroots peace efforts. The provision of digital tools to CSOs ensures that youth-led organizations are well-equipped to document, analyze, and disseminate information critical to conflict resolution and civic engagement. With support from international donors and implementing partners, the Youth Promotion Initiative is paving the way for a more inclusive, digitally empowered, and peaceful Liberia. The success of this program sets a precedent for future digital interventions aimed at strengthening youth leadership and participation in governance and peacebuilding.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, UNFPA’s Resident Representative in Liberia, Bidisha Pillai emphasized the transformative power of technology in shaping a more inclusive and equitable society.

 She highlighted how young people, born into a digital world, have adapted to technological advancements, leveraging them to access education, employment, and civil participation. According to her, technology can be a powerful tool for reducing inequality, promoting gender equity, and fostering peace through innovation and idea-sharing.

She also stressed the role of technology in raising awareness and mobilizing action on global issues like climate change, stressing that it enabled grassroots movements to gain visibility and grow into impactful local initiatives.

However, Pillai acknowledged the dual nature of technology, emphasizing the need to ensure young people have access to safe digital tools. She pointed out that technology can empower youth with vital information about sexual and reproductive health, enabling them to make informed decisions.

“Technology has good sides and bad sides and it is very important for us to make sure that the technology and tools that are in the hands of young people are safe. And it can increase the access of young people to information about sexual and reproductive health, services, supplies and empower them to make informed decisions,” she stated.

She expressed excitement about a project aimed at increasing youth participation in civic decision-making.  Said Pillai, “This initiative seeks to transform youth-led advocacy centers and women-led peace hubs into platforms for meaningful discussions, political engagement, and intergenerational dialogues. By connecting young people with political actors, women leaders, mentors, and traditional and religious figures through a common digital interface, the project aims to enhance their role in formal civic platforms.”

Deputy Minister for Youth Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, J. Bryant McGill, also lauded partners for the initiative, highlighting its alignment with the government’s ARREST Agenda, which prioritizes digital transformation for youth development.

Also speaking, UN Women representative Bega Meles, reaffirmed her organization’s commitment to empowering women and youth in Liberia.

In her remarks, chief executive officer of YMCA Liberia, Madam Vonyee Newton Kolison expressed appreciation to the UNFPA and other development partners for their continued support to youth organizations in Liberia.

She highlighted the crucial role these partners have played in empowering young people by providing them with essential digital tools to enhance their operational efficiency.

Madam Kolison emphasized that the provision of digital tools is a game-changer for youth-led organizations, enabling them to improve communication, data management, advocacy, and service delivery. She noted that in an increasingly digital world, access to such resources strengthens the capacity of young leaders to drive change, engage in meaningful dialogue, and contribute to national development efforts.

Also speaking was the YMCA, Liberia, Ydigital Startup Manager, Nynati Doepoh who stressed that the equipment has a propensity o rebrand any CSO office location into a resource center to thousands of educational offline contents on peace building, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), comprehensive sexuality education (CES), subject matter books, academic books for primary to TVET and college level learning.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Abdullah Bility, Vice President for International Affairs at the Federation of Liberian Youths, expressed gratitude to donors for recognizing young people as key partners in peacebuilding. Similarly, Delvin Morris, representing the Women in Peace Building Network Program, welcomed the initiative and pledged to use the digital tools effectively.

Monrovia — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with support from Sweden, has donated 13 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles and a motorbike to the Ministry of Health. The vehicles are in support of strengthening reproductive and maternal health services across the country.

Speaking on Friday, December 13, 2024, during the presentation ceremony, UNFPA Representative Bidisha Pillai said the donation is part of UNFPA’s support to the strengthening of maternal health services in underserved counties and enhancing social cohesion through the rehabilitation & empowerment of marginalized youth in Liberia. “Strengthening the maternal health system is part of UNFPA’s core mandate of ending preventable maternal deaths, ending the unmet need for family planning, and ending all forms of sexual and gender-based violence by 2030,” she added.

Recognizing the Minister of Health’s tireless efforts, she said, “We hope that the Government of Liberia will recognize this support and further build on it as access to reproductive health services and maternal health services are so crucial if the country is to prevent women from dying in childbirth,” she said.

Ms. Pillai disclosed that the vehicles were acquired as part of the Government of Sweden’s support to the 2022 Liberia Population and Housing Census. She commended the Government and people of Sweden for their continuous support of UNFPA programmes in Liberia, especially for ending preventable maternal deaths and ensuring every young person fulfills their full potential.

In response, the Ambassador of Sweden to Liberia, Karl Backéus, said Sweden was proud to collaborate with UNFPA to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights for Liberian adolescents, young people, and women, including Liberia’s maternal health delivery system. Ambassador Backéus said his country looked forward to seeing the impact the donation of the vehicles would have on the maternal health system across the country.

In addition, one of the 13 vehicles and the motorbike will support the At-Risk Youth project. Jointly funded by the Government of Liberia and the United Nations through the Peacebuilding Fund, the programme seeks to empower marginalized youths, especially youths using drugs and other substances, with economic livelihood skills, give them the agency and voice to contribute to peacebuilding, and hold state actors accountable.

Health Minister Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, received the vehicles and commended UNFPA and the Government of Sweden for the donation. Dr. Kpoto noted that the vehicles will greatly support the Government’s effort to reduce maternal death in the country by strengthening maternal health services. She said the vehicles would be used to ferry pregnant women to health facilities and for emergency cases.

Ganta, Nimba County – The government of Liberia, in collaboration with development partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), has pledged its support toward youth development initiatives across the country.

By Franklin Doloquee, Nimba County

The commitment was made during the National Youth Consultation Summit of the Future, held in Ganta, Nimba County, under the theme: “Our Voice, Our Aspirations, Our Future.” The summit brought together youth organizations from all 15 counties to seek government and international support for addressing critical issues affecting young people in their communities.

Participants highlighted major challenges such as the influence of drugs, the lack of youth empowerment programs, scholarships, vocational training, and rehabilitation centers. The summit provided a platform for these young leaders to discuss their concerns and seek solutions from the government and its development partners, including UNFPA, UN Women, UNDP, and YMCA.

The event also allowed youth representatives to engage with government officials and international partners, discussing how to enhance their lives through collaboration with global youth organizations. The summit was seen as an eye-opener, providing participants with the knowledge and opportunities to move forward.

Representatives from various youth organizations expressed their views during the summit.

Melvin J. Jones from the Liberia Scout Association, Jamama SayJue Tweh from the Mano River Union Youth Parliament, and Evangeline D. Sirleaf from the Liberia National Student Union (LINSU) Gender Department emphasized the importance of the gathering in empowering young people and preventing them from being used for political violence, as had happened in the past.

Jamesetta Monah Cooper, Nimba County coordinator for YMCA, stressed that drug abuse is a major issue among young people in Liberia and called for more government intervention to combat this problem.

Banica S. Elliott, president of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), highlighted the positive role youth organizations played during the recent peaceful elections and noted that the knowledge gained at the summit would further enhance their work.

Deputy Representative Leonard Kamugisha of UNFPA pledged his organization’s continued support for initiatives that promote unity and development among young people. He noted that UNFPA has been assisting Liberia since 1979 and remains committed to supporting the country’s youth.

Liberia’s Senior Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Fohn Toe Gborweah Sr., described the summit as a significant boost for President Joseph Boakai’s government, noting that such opportunities were previously unavailable to young people. He urged the future leaders of Liberia to seize this opportunity to drive positive change.

UN Women and YMCA also reiterated their commitment to supporting youth development activities across the country, expressing gratitude to the government for facilitating the summit.

Youth and Sports Minister Counselor J. Cole Bangalu, addressing the gathering, acknowledged that 75 percent of Liberia’s young population lacks access to essential human needs. He praised the summit as a positive step toward addressing these issues and pledged the ministry’s commitment to supporting youth activities across the country. Minister Bangalu also noted that the summit allowed young people to voice their concerns and formulate a position statement on their needs, which will guide future government and partner interventions.

The National Youth Consultation Summit of the Future concluded with a call for increased support for skills training, youth empowerment, job opportunities, and improved access to public facilities for people with disabilities. Participants also advocated for reduced fees at public universities to make higher education more accessible to all Liberians.

Ganta, Nimba County – The government of Liberia, in collaboration with development partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), has pledged its support toward youth development initiatives across the country.

The commitment was made during the National Youth Consultation Summit of the Future, held in Ganta, Nimba County, under the theme: “Our Voice, Our Aspirations, Our Future.” The summit brought together youth organizations from all 15 counties to seek government and international support for addressing critical issues affecting young people in their communities.

Participants highlighted major challenges such as the influence of drugs, the lack of youth empowerment programs, scholarships, vocational training, and rehabilitation centers. The summit provided a platform for these young leaders to discuss their concerns and seek solutions from the government and its development partners, including UNFPA, UN Women, UNDP, and YMCA.

The event also allowed youth representatives to engage with government officials and international partners, discussing how to enhance their lives through collaboration with global youth organizations. The summit was seen as an eye-opener, providing participants with the knowledge and opportunities to move forward.

Representatives from various youth organizations expressed their views during the summit.

Melvin J. Jones from the Liberia Scout Association, Jamama SayJue Tweh from the Mano River Union Youth Parliament, and Evangeline D. Sirleaf from the Liberia National Student Union (LINSU) Gender Department emphasized the importance of the gathering in empowering young people and preventing them from being used for political violence, as had happened in the past.

Jamesetta Monah Cooper, Nimba County coordinator for YMCA, stressed that drug abuse is a major issue among young people in Liberia and called for more government intervention to combat this problem.

Banica S. Elliott, president of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), highlighted the positive role youth organizations played during the recent peaceful elections and noted that the knowledge gained at the summit would further enhance their work.

Deputy Representative Leonard Kamugisha of UNFPA pledged his organization’s continued support for initiatives that promote unity and development among young people. He noted that UNFPA has been assisting Liberia since 1979 and remains committed to supporting the country’s youth.

Liberia’s Senior Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Fohn Toe Gborweah Sr., described the summit as a significant boost for President Joseph Boakai’s government, noting that such opportunities were previously unavailable to young people. He urged the future leaders of Liberia to seize this opportunity to drive positive change.

UN Women and YMCA also reiterated their commitment to supporting youth development activities across the country, expressing gratitude to the government for facilitating the summit.

Youth and Sports Minister Counselor J. Cole Bangalu, addressing the gathering, acknowledged that 75 percent of Liberia’s young population lacks access to essential human needs. He praised the summit as a positive step toward addressing these issues and pledged the ministry’s commitment to supporting youth activities across the country. Minister Bangalu also noted that the summit allowed young people to voice their concerns and formulate a position statement on their needs, which will guide future government and partner interventions.

The National Youth Consultation Summit of the Future concluded with a call for increased support for skills training, youth empowerment, job opportunities, and improved access to public facilities for people with disabilities. Participants also advocated for reduced fees at public universities to make higher education more accessible to all Liberians.

CESTOS, Rivercess County – Collaborating to enhance healthcare facilities, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liberia, alongside the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and in partnership with Irish Aid (the government of Ireland), has officially inaugurated a post-partum ward and mini theatre at St. Francis Hospital in Cestos City, Rivercess County.

By Claudius Greene, contributing writer

The dedication ceremony took place on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Cestos City Hall as part of the initiative titled “Empowering Adolescents to Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy within the Context of COVID-19 Recovery in River Cess County.”

Under the overarching theme “Empowering Adolescents to Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy within the Context,” the project was executed by YMCA of Liberia in conjunction with the Rivercess County Health Team. It adopts a multi-sectoral approach through three access points: health facilities/youth-friendly centers, school health clubs, and community outreach programs.

The primary objectives include enhancing adolescents’ access to integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information, reducing maternal mortality, and combating gender-based violence (SGBV) and harmful practices in River Cess County.

The event was graced by dignitaries including Madam Bidisha Phillai, UNFPA Country Representative to Liberia; Mr. Gerard Considine, Ambassador of the Irish Embassy; Ms. Emer Hughes, Embassy Development Lead; Ms. Lesley Mensah, Senior Programme Advisor and Gender at the Irish Embassy. Others include Mr. E. Timotheus Kamaboakai, National General Secretary/Executive Director, YMCA of Liberia; Dr. Joseph Torpor, River Cess County Health Officer; and Dr. Nathaniel Samuels, Medical Director, St. Francis Hospital, among others.

Addressing the attendees, Madam Bidisha Phillai expressed gratitude to the county health officer, superintendent’s office representative, traditional leaders, youth of Cestos City, Education Department, and all participants for their warm reception. She commended the commendable efforts of the community towards progress.

Madam Phillai emphasized UNFPA’s commitment to supporting Liberia’s government and its people in achieving their developmental goals. She highlighted the significance of sexual and reproductive health and rights in societal development, stressing the crucial role of women’s reproductive health as a fundamental pillar.

“So when we come here as your partner and we are able to see that you are able to progress on your goals, it gives us the greatest joy of all, so I want to congratulate you for your progress,” she said.

“I think it is very important to recognize today everything that we have seen, right from when we visited the newly constructed and inaugurated maternity wards, the theater, and the youth friendly center, and when we heard from the young people, I think we recognized how important sexual and reproductive health and rights are.”

She underscored the importance of investments in family planning services, noting their multifaceted benefits in reducing teenage pregnancy, maternal mortality, and unsafe abortions. Phillai reiterated the interconnectedness of SRHR with education, poverty, and gender equality, advocating for comprehensive efforts to ensure every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is realized.

Acknowledging the support of partners, she extended appreciation to the Irish Embassy Ambassador, Gerard Considine, and Emer Hughes for their collaboration and assistance.

In his remarks, Ambassador Gerard Considine lauded the collaborative efforts of the County Health Team and expressed satisfaction with the project’s outcomes, reaffirming the embassy’s commitment to further engagements and initiatives in Liberia.

“It’s great to see the collaborative work that we see being done by the County Health Team,” he said. “It is great to see the work that we are able to assist with here in Liberia, and the Embassy has been here now for five years, and we are planning to expand and do more, so it is really encouraging to see the project and the result of the project for the first time.”

E. Timotheus Kamaboakai, the National General Secretary/Executive Director of YMCA Liberia, urged continued collaboration and emphasized the empowerment of existing community structures. He emphasized the importance of attitudinal change and community involvement in sustaining the impact of interventions.

“The structure that exists needs to be empowered,” he said. “One of the reasons we are doing this is that these grant funding will come and go, but we will still be here, the country will be here, and the structures will be here, and the only way we can continue achieving this impact is when we can learn lessons from what we have done and see how we can be able to apply those lessons.”.

Kamaboakai thanked the County Authority for their generous donation of land to YMCA, assuring ongoing commitment to community development initiatives.

The dedication ceremony, local officials say marked a milestone in enhancing healthcare services in Rivercess County, exemplifying the power of collaboration and community-driven initiatives in fostering positive change.

Zorzor, Lofa County – On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, in the afternoon, the United Nations Food Program Assistant Deputy Representative, Leonard Kamugisha, and Partner Plan International turned over a Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) one-stop-shop center screening facility to the administration of Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor, Lofa County.

By Garma Lomo, Contributing Writer

The facility consists of two screening rooms, a storeroom with bathrooms, and a waiting area equipped with a television.

Speaking during the turnover ceremony at Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor, Tarnue Kabbar, Head of Programs at Plan International, mentioned that the construction of the building posed challenges. Mr. Kabbar emphasized his organization’s commitment to combating violence in all its forms in the country, particularly in areas with high violations of the rights of girl children.

“The head of programs at Plan International further revealed that they are glad to fighting violence in the country, equality and inclusion.”

He stated that the facility is one of twenty-seven facilities they have worked on with UNFPA over the past years to document SGBV cases in the County.

In a special remark made by the UNFPA Deputy Representative, Mr. Leonard Kamugisha urged the hospital administration, headed by Dr. Amani Seraphin, to provide family planning services. He acknowledged the hospital’s comprehensive package of services, which include maternal health and services for survivors of violence, expressing hope that family planning services would also be included.

Furthermore, he outlined UNFPA’s goals: eliminating maternal deaths, promoting the use of family planning, and eliminating gender-based violence.

Mr. Kamugisha emphasized that the new building would provide survivors with confidential screening and response, instead of being conducted in a small room where multiple patients are screened simultaneously.

“We should be cautioned to be mindful how we handle SGBV cases are treated both at the hospital and the community in order to avoid stigma,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Amani Seraphin, the Medical Director of Curran Hospital, expressed gratitude to UNFPA and Plan International for their initiative. Dr. Seraphin emphasized that the new building would greatly assist them, as SGBV survivors were previously screened in a small room within the hospital, often in the presence of others, causing embarrassment.

Dr. Seraphin outlined the challenges of handling SGBV cases when they exceed the hospital’s capacity, noting that some cases come with complications such as fistula.

He appealed to UNFPA, Plan International, and other partners to support the SGBV section to ease some of the burdens they face, expressing readiness to collaborate with them moving forward.

Dakar – UN Women and UNFPA as part of the French Muskoka Fund launch a hackathon to fight online violence against women and girls in West and Central Africa.

The region is experiencing major challenges, such as conflicts, epidemics, and natural disasters, which affect the vulnerability and chronic poverty of women and children. On the other hand, violence against women remains high, with harmful practices widespread. Women face multiple discriminations, hindering their social, economic and political empowerment. They account for nearly 70% of people living on less than a dollar a day and 2/3 of non-literate adults. Women’s isolation limits their access to education, information, and resources. 

Women and girls are even more affected by the digital divide, with limited access to technology. They are also the main targets of online violence, which has devastating effects on women’s human rights and economic exclusion. 

The Hackathon to fight against Gender-Based Violence is an opportunity to commit to building a safe and accessible digital environment to enable women and girls to fully enjoy their human rights and achieve their potential.

The Hackathon to fight against Gender-Based Violence is open to young people between the ages of 18 and 35 from and residing in West and Central Africa.  They are committed to thinking about innovative technological solutions to: (1) prevent and fight against different forms of violence against girls and women or (2) fight against online violence.

Candidates are invited to propose their solution before November 17 by posting their project on the dedicated Hackathon website: www.hackathon-vbg.org

UN Women’s Regional Director a.i. for West and Central Africa, Dr. Maxime Houinato, said: “It is becoming imperative to bridge the digital divide and create a safe digital environment for women and girls in the region, in order to promote their empowerment and access to education, health care and economic opportunities. ‘Using digital technologies to raise awareness and mobilise younger generations in the fight against violence against girls is a way to invest in creating a more equal and inclusive society’.

UNFPA’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Dr. Sennen Hounton emphasizes that “Promoting digital access for girls and young women is essential as it opens up education, training and employment opportunities that provide them with important prospects for the future. But the digital world also contains many threats and we are witnessing the emergence of new forms of violence, online, which can dramatically affect adolescent girls and young women, in particular”, he recalls that “the demographic dividend, the fight against violence against girls and digital access are interconnected and can reinforce each other to create more sustainable egalitarian and safe societies.”

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) recommended zero-tolerance policies against online violence and the creation of safe digital spaces by design, as well as strengthening digital education and research to combat such violence.

About UN Women

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. As the global champion of women and girls, UN Women was created to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls around the world. 

About UNFPA

UNFPA is the United Nations agency responsible for sexual and reproductive health. Her mission is to build a world in which every pregnancy is desired and every birth is safe. A world in which every young person realizes their full potential. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

About the French Muskoka Fund: 

Since 2011, the French Muskoka Fund (FFM) has been working to improve the health and well-being of women, newborns, children, adolescents and adolescent girls by strengthening health systems, including the community health system. This initiative responds to France’s commitment at the G8 Muskoka Summit to strengthen its contribution to sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, and women’s empowerment. The WFF works by mobilizing comparative advantages and coordinating the complementary expertise of four UN agencies (WHO, UN Women, UNFPA and UNICEF). Together, they are working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health, gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

Monrovia, 11 November 2022

The Government of Liberia and International Partners wish to reaffirm their continued commitment to the successful conduct of the ongoing 2022 National Population and Housing Census by the Government which runs from11 to 22 November, 2022.

The population and housing census is among the most complex and massive peacetime exercises a nation can undertake. A census, as mandated within the Constitution, involves the complete enumeration of the population in a country. It generates a wealth of data, including numbers of people, their spatial distribution, age and sex structure, as well as their living conditions and other key socioeconomic characteristics. These data are critical for good governance, policy formulation, development planning, crisis prevention, mitigation and response, social welfare programmes and business market analyses, among others.

By: Press Release

Given this, the International Community wishes to encourage all not to politicize or disrupt the ongoing 2022 National Population and Housing Census. We have observed with dismay calls by some elements within the country to boycott the Census.

Despite some initial challenges, the Census is now on track and has commenced as of 11 November, 2022. Any further disruption would lead to delays in, or possible abortion, of the Census which will benefit no one.

The Partners, led by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), are providing technical and financial support to the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, the agency of the Government with the authority to conduct Census taking, to ensure the census house listing an enumeration is completed within the timeframe of 11- 22 November, 2022 as announced by the Government.

The International Partner support is aimed at ensuring that the 2022 National Population
and Housing Census is of high quality and upholds international principles and standards.

The unique advantage of the census is that it represents the entire statistical universe, down to the smallest geographical/ administrative area of a country or region.

The Government of Liberia and International partners wish to appeal to all citizens, residents and visitors to peacefully support the ongoing 2022 National Population and Housing Census by welcoming the Census Enumerators to their homes and facilities and allow them to do their work. Remember that Census takes place every 10 years and the
process gives an individual the opportunity to be heard, and counted. So let’s make this Census count.

CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – The Speaker of the House of Representatives Bhofal Chambers has announced that the House has met with top officials of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and agreed to push the starting date of the census by additional 15 days.

That means, the national census will now kick off on November 22, 2022 instead of October 24, this Monday.

The news comes amid a chaotic recruitment exercise that has brought LISGIS, who has earlier been rocked by integrity problem, under the spotlight again for all the negative reasons.

All across the country, thousands of applicants who accepted to undergo LISGIS’ training to serve as enumerators have complained that their names were omitted after successfully passing the aptitude test, the last step for qualification.

Even, some of those whose names were posted on LISGIS website as successful candidates were denied entry to their assigned training venues.

One of the enumerators identified as Grace Dickson told FrontPage Africa that she had to travel back and forth to be accepted for the training but was denied twice.

“Since this morning, I have been going from place to place. My name was placed on LISGIS website but the supervisor at Caldwell told me to go to where I took the test,” Grace Dickson said.

She added: “I do not know what to do because I am tired of moving from one place to another and cannot get any results.”

Another enumerator assigned at the Boatswain Jr. High School in Jamaica Road told FPA that prior to his acceptance, the names of everyone of them who sat the test at Boatswain Public School names did not come up.

“We were about 175 people that took the test at Boatswain Jr. High School. All of us that took the test, none of our names came up. LISGIS made an error but they told us to keep calm. They gave us another form to sign and they accepted all of us in. The people are making the recruitment process chaotic and complicated,” he said speaking on anonymity.

Amid the chaos and irregularities on the recruitment process, LISGIS’ acting Director Wilmot F. Smith said the ‘Census House’ was ready to go ahead with the process.

According to him, they have met with the local authorities in every county and have divided the country into six regions.

“We are ready, we did the aptitude test. We are conducting training. Even after the census, there will be post-analysis done so that does not mean that we are not ready. We are more than ready and we will deliver with the help of the Liberian people,” Smith said.

He added: “We have all of the experts here and they are working on this project. We have to keep our eyes on the President’s biggest picture, we have a project to deliver. Why it is true that there are some missteps that we are correcting we cannot regret now, we have to make sure that this project should not fail.”

However, amid the Speaker’s revelation, it is a clear testament that LISGIS is not ready all. And in order to live up to its promise to successfully conduct Liberia’s first digital census as it promised, it should make use of this opportunity and put its ‘house in order’.

While LISGIS will be relieve with the Speaker’s pronouncement, it should be noted that nothing has been finalized. Since the previous schedule was derived through an act of the Legislature, the proposed dates have to be legislated. That is, both the House and the Liberian Senate should approve through unanimous votes and be signed by the President.

GBARNGA, Bong County – Residents of Bong and Nimba Counties have expressed their gratitude to the Swedish Government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for their continued support to several development initiatives in their respective counties.

The Swedish Government, through UNFPA and other partners including the Government of Liberia, is funding several projects in the health and education sectors as well as programs geared towards the promotion of the rule of law and gender equality among others.

The citizens made the commendations to a high-power delegation currently visiting the counties.

The team comprises the Deputy Head of Mission and head of the Swedish Development Corporation at the Swedish Embassy Johan Romare, the new Country Representative of UNFPA, Ms. Bidisha Pillai and the Assistant Health Minister for Curative Services Dr. Gorbee Logan. Others include officials of the British Embassy and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

The team is conducting a joint field visit of sponsored project sites in Margibi, Bong and Nimba Counties to get firsthand accounts from the beneficiaries about the projects’ impacts, challenges that hindering their full utilization or implementation and recommendations.

At a stop in Gbarnga, Bong County on Monday, August 29, the team met with the hospital’s administration and students of the Esther Bacon School of Nursing and Midwifery. They also visited and toured the Phebe Hospital, the largest referral hospital in the county.

The Phebe Hospital’s medical director, Dr. Jefferson Sibley told the delegates at an indoor program that through the joint support of the Swedes and implementing partners including the Government, there have been much improvements in the hospital’s fistula program. He said out of 26 patients, 24 were treated through surgical operation by a volunteer international surgeon.

He called for support towards the program to assign a resident fistula surgeon to treat patients regularly instead of waiting on surgeons who come occasionally from abroad.

He called for the budget for the fistula repair program be increased to cover transportation for returning fistula Survivors to their communities. In addition, he appeal to UNFPA and other partners to reconsider financing the skill training as part of  activities and be budgeted accordingly to encourage reintegration into the society.

Also speaking, the Director of the Esther Bacon School of Health Sciences Humphrey Loweah, said Phebe paramedical training program has achieved a lot from the partners since they began supporting in 2019. Mr. Loweal named the expansion and completion of the skill laboratory and library as a major turning point for the school.

Loweal noted that since their intervention in 2019, enrollment and graduation have increased. “UNFPA has really been helpful to the Phebe School of Nursing since 2019,” he said. “Before the support, the school had never graduated more than five students, but right now we have more people graduating and as I speak, we will have about 14 persons graduating from the school very soon,” he said.

He told the delegation that for the past six semesters, there has been no dropout and the school has changed from awarding diploma to degree. For the first, midwives will be graduating with degree, thanks to the support from the Ministry of Health, Swedish Government and UNFPA, he said.

He then appealed for increased funding for the Phebe training program to continue training and producing quality healthcare workers, increased support to the school’s supplies to commensurate with enrolment.

 In addition, the administrator called for full support to the Phebe, especially the Anesthesia program to meet academic requirements since Phebe is the only anesthesia school in the country. He called for support to be extended to other programs including professional nursing and medical laboratory technology since they including the nurses, midwives, anesthetists and lab technicians are all partners in healthcare provision.

The students also joined the school’s administrator in thanking the donors for the support. Robert Korquoi of the Anesthesia department and Yah N. Kpawolo of the midwifery section, in separate remarks, called on the donors to make available mean of transportation for their clinical activities and affiliation, especially for students from hard-to-reach areas including Lofa, Nimba and the southeastern region.  

With 1,072 maternal deaths for every 100,000 births, Liberia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, according to UNICEF. The mortality rate of newborns, within the first 28 days of life, is also high—37 for every 1,000 live births.

Speaking briefly, Dr. Logan said, with these statistics, there was a need for continued support to the Phebe School of Nursing and Midwifery to train more midwives and paramedics giving the acute shortage of manpower in the health system.

The Assistant Minister for Curative Services noted that the support to the school was timely and ideal as it is the training hub for nurses and midwives in Liberia. On behalf of the Ministry of Health and the Liberian Government by extension, he thanked the Swedish Government through UNFPA for the meaningful interventions.

UNFPA Country Representatives Ms. Pillai lauded the Phebe Hospital and the Esther Bacon School of Nursing and Midwifery for helping UNFPA make strides in achieve its goal. She said the works at the institutions have direct impact in making sure that every pregnancy is wanted and every delivery is safe.

The Deputy Head of Mission and head of the Swedish Development Corporation at the Swedish Embassy in Liberia Johan Romare thanked the Phebe Hospital and the paramedic school – both administrators and students for the warm reception and for drilling them through the happenings at their institutions. He assured them of the Swedish Government’s continued support, adding the team was on the ground the see and listen in order to make informed decisions.

Hope for Prisoners

The delegation also visited the Gbarnga Central Prison and interacted with the prison supervisors and inmates including convicts and pre-trial detainees who are benefiting from the skill and adult literacy program funded by the Swedish Government through UNFPA.

Through the program, inmates learned basic skills including tailoring, soap making and other arts and crafts; while mostly juvenile prisoners are benefiting from the adult literacy program.

The acting Superintendent of the Gbarnga Central Prison, Richard Mulbah said beneficiaries are selected based on their gravity of the crimes they committed and commitments and cooperation. He said since the training was launched, 40 inmates have graduated and of the number, five have reintegrated.

He added that to sustain the program, plans are being worked out to sell the products that being produce by the beneficiaries on the local markets to use the fund generated to keep the program running.

He appealed for certification of inmates by the sponsors and the Government of Liberia to show as evidence when seeking employment opportunities if they are reintegrated into their communities. He called for continued support to the program to help combat crimes.

“I think this program is very good because it will help them when they are released from jail. This is the only way that crimes would be minimized in the County because when they are set free and have something doing, obviously they won’t want to engage themselves into bad things,” Mulbah said.

The tour continues to several projects sites in Bong and Nimba Counties.

The passing of laws to end child marriage resulted in blocking thousands of child marriages and enabling second chance education for girls. However, these gains made over the years are in jeopardy in the age of COVID-19.

By Justine Coulson (UNFPA), Roberta Clarke (UN Women) and Mohamed M. Fall (UNICEF)

In Malawi because of cases brought to court, child marriages were annulled, and girls had the opportunity to return to school. Fewer adolescents experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) compared with older generations. In Ethiopia, for instance, 47 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 years have undergone FGM compared to 75 per cent of women aged 35 to 49 years. The same trend has been observed for child marriage, with a decline from 58 per cent of women aged 25 to 49 years compared to 40 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 years.

These changes were supported by United Nations (UN) global and regional joint programmes, including the UN and European Union Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls and harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM.

However, health crisis such as the Ebola and now the COVID-19 crisis undermine strategies to end sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and other harmful practices, and poses a serious threat to the significant progress made over the past decade. Livelihoods are lost, social support networks are disrupted, and we are witnessing a reduction of access to reproductive health information and services.  This will inevitably result in an increase in unintended pregnancies, child marriage, school dropouts and sometimes, maternal mortality.

In East and Southern Africa, there are reports of increases in the incidents of sexual and gender-based violence including child marriage and FGM. Countries in the region, already rated as the poorest and most unequal in the world, are further grappling with the effects of the pandemic with communities sinking further into poverty. In these financially-fragile homes, increases in child labour and sexual exploitation and abuse of women and girls are likely unless prevented.

Women and girls trapped in their homes with their abusers are isolated from the services and resources. Additionally, shrinking peer support networks increase a girl’s social isolation and vulnerability. Projections estimate that 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence will occur globally if the lockdown continues for at least six months.

Among the most vulnerable are adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years with their limited negotiation skills within the family.  Many are likely to fall victim to child marriage; a practice to reduce the family’s economic burden and to increase income through dowry and bride price.

The lockdowns have temporarily shut down schools and other safe spaces for girls, and blocked access to mentorship programmes. Widespread closure of schools has interrupted the education of more than 1 billion children globally, exposing girls to a greater risk of GBV, child marriage, FGM, unintended pregnancies, and HIV infection.

Even prior to the pandemic, adolescent girls were already left behind. With today’s crisis, pre-existing gender inequalities exacerbate their vulnerability. Girls need to return to school to complete their education and create for themselves an empowered future. Post-COVID-19, families may need a financial push, and countries need to make the right investments in young people. The education of girls, second-chance education for survivors of GBV, Child Marriage, and the demographic dividend should be the priority of the governments in the rebuilding efforts.

Failing to pay particular attention to the specific needs of women and girls in times of crisis will undermine their basic rights. It is imperative that public policy efforts and programmes for the elimination of child marriage and FGM are implemented during the pandemic and beyond. This means continued investment on resources that commensurate to the needs of the most left behind girls—for prevention, for education, and for lifesaving SRHR and GBV services and protection.

UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women remain strongly committed to work with governments and all stakeholders to build societies where women and girls are free of violence and all form of discrimination by 2030. When women and girls can have access to the right information and support and when the governments prioritize their access to services and the justice system, the communities will prosper.