Women’s Economic Resilience Shows Measurable Gains in Liberia’s Community Peace Efforts

Monrovia- Liberia continues to grapple with entrenched gender-based violence (GBV), economic exclusion, and limited women’s participation in decision-making, challenges clearly articulated in the Government’s Aid Investment and Development (AAID) framework.

By Jaheim T. [email protected]

The high prevalence of sexual violence, harmful social norms, women’s economic dependency, and weak community-level prevention mechanisms remain persistent obstacles to inclusive peace and recovery.

Against this backdrop, the Women’s Socio-Economic and Leadership Resilience Project (P4WOSELR)—supported by the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and coordinated with UN Women Liberia and implemented by Platform for Dialogue and peace ( P4DP)—offers a practical example of how localized, women-led interventions can contribute to addressing these structural gaps.

Covering activities implemented between September and December 2025 in Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Gedeh, and Grand Bassa Counties. The project focused on strengthening women’s economic resilience and leadership as entry points for GBV prevention and social cohesion—an approach consistent with both the WPS agenda and Liberia’s national development priorities.

Field observations indicate that the project’s emphasis on Peace Mother Clubs (PMCs)—long-standing community platforms—has helped rebuild trust and collective action at the grassroots level. More than 300 women and men were mobilized into functional PMCs, reinforcing community-based structures that the AAID identifies as critical for early warning, mediation, and protection against violence.

Economic vulnerability is repeatedly cited in national policy documents as a key driver of GBV. In response, the project combined leadership training with financial literacy, small-business support, and targeted grants, enabling women to reduce dependency and increase agency within households and communities. During the quarter, 75 market women received business skills training, while 35 small-scale vendors were assessed for enterprise development, contributing to income stability—an essential factor in lowering exposure to exploitation and abuse.

The project also engaged over 300 women and young women in leadership and dialogue initiatives, equipping them to challenge harmful norms and engage traditional leaders and local authorities. This aligns directly with Liberia’s commitment under the AAID to promote women’s participation in governance and community decision-making as a pathway to sustainable peace.

Rather than stand-alone activities, the intervention demonstrated how economic empowerment, social norm change, and community peace structures can reinforce one another when designed around local ownership and accountability—core principles of the WPHF and UN Women’s programming.

While long-term impact will depend on sustained investment and institutional support, the second-quarter results suggest that locally anchored women’s leadership initiatives can deliver measurable gains in resilience, prevention, and inclusion. In a context where GBV remains both a cause and consequence of inequality, such approaches provide practical lessons for scaling community-driven solutions within Liberia’s broader peace and development architecture.