Monrovia – Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor of Bong County has criticized the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of not being gender sensitive.
According to the NPP current Political leader, she was nearly booted out of the party in 2005 when she first expressed her interest to contest on the party ticket as the only female.
Senator Taylor said: “They shunned me. They said you will not win, go and sit home. I only got on the ticket after it was established by the party that it was a requirement from the National Elections Commission (NEC) that for a party to be qualified they, needed to have female on the party ticket. They did not give me a single T-shirt for campaign—I was on my own.”
Speaking to group of women in Monrovia under the banner “District Village Saving and Loan Association,” she encouraged the women of Liberia to ensure that more women are brought in government during the pending 2017 election as a solution to some of the problems the country faces.
She encouraged the women not to be divided by propaganda from some men who say under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a female President, the government has failed. She described it as cheap propaganda.
Senator Taylor, wife of Liberia’s former and jailed President, believes that men who have led the country since its establishment have led it to destruction. She also urged women in Liberia to boycott all political activities of men especially current elected officials until the Gender parity bill is passed.
The gender parity bill, if passed, will give women additional 15 seats in both chambers of the legislature.
She promised to support women candidates who will contest against male candidates with specific reference made to Madam Korpo Howard, a local market woman who, she said, is contesting against the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) District #8 Lawmaker Acarous Gray.
At the Program the women honored Senator Howard for her immense contribution towards humanity, women empowerment and advocacy.
The women, in a statement made by Mandam Lusu Sloan, former President of the Liberia Market Association described the former first lady as a senator beyond boundaries.
Henry Karmo – [email protected]