By Rachel Saykiamien
Monrovia, Liberia –The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), in collaboration with SisterHand Liberia and Sister Aid Liberia Inc., has held a high-level strategic engagement with senior Government of Liberia officials to address the alarming surge in gender-based violence (GBV) across the country.
The meeting brought together key government actors, including the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Minister of Justice, the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, the Solicitor General, and the Montserrado County Attorney. Their presence underscored strong political will and renewed leadership commitment to confronting GBV as a national priority.
Described as timely and productive, the engagement provided a platform for frank discussions, shared analysis, and joint strategizing on both urgent and long-term measures needed to curb sexual and gender-based violence affecting women, girls, and other vulnerable groups across Liberia.
During the meeting, government representatives reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening GBV prevention and response mechanisms and called for deeper collaboration with civil society organizations and youth groups to ensure interventions are coordinated, survivor-centered, and community-driven. Participants agreed that ending GBV requires collective action across government institutions, law enforcement agencies, civil society, and communities.
Civil society representatives highlighted several critical challenges undermining effective GBV response services. These include limited access to comprehensive medical, psychosocial, and legal support for survivors; inadequate shelters and safe spaces-particularly outside Monrovia; weak referral and case management systems; under-resourced Women and Children Protection Sections; delays in investigations and prosecutions; persistent stigma and fear of retaliation leading to low reporting rates; and insufficient, inconsistent funding for GBV prevention and response efforts.
The meeting also reviewed Liberia’s legal and policy frameworks addressing GBV, including the Domestic Violence Act, the Rape Law, and the Children’s Law. While acknowledging that these laws provide a strong foundation for protection and accountability, participants recognized significant gaps in implementation, enforcement, and coordination that must be urgently addressed.
Speaking during the engagement, CSO representatives emphasized the urgency of translating commitments into action.
“The rise in gender-based violence across Liberia is deeply alarming and demands immediate, coordinated national action. As civil society organizations, we believe this is not just a women’s issue- it is a national emergency that requires strong political will, adequate resourcing, and sustained collaboration.
We must move beyond commitments to concrete action to ensure justice, protection, and dignity for every survivor. We remain committed to working closely with the Government and partners to strengthen prevention efforts and build a survivor-centered response system that leaves no one behind,” they stated.
WONGOSOL, SisterHand Liberia, and Sister Aid Liberia Inc. reaffirmed their commitment to working in close partnership with the Government of Liberia to advance a more effective, coordinated, and survivor-centered GBV response framework.
The CSOs welcomed the commitments made during the engagement and called for sustained political leadership, adequate resourcing, and concrete follow-up actions to ensure justice, protection, and dignity for all survivors of gender-based violence in Liberia.
