The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has successfully concluded a two-day training for gender county coordinators and social workers on women’s empowerment and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention. The workshop, held in Gbarnga, Bong County, was a key component of the $44.6 million Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), funded by the World Bank.
The training, which ran from December 4-5, 2024, brought together participants from Liberia’s 15 counties. The sessions aimed to dismantle gender stereotypes, promote equality, and enhance service delivery in local communities. Participants were also trained on monitoring and evaluation, gender analysis frameworks, and GBV prevention and response strategies.
Speaking on behalf of Gender Minister Gbeme Horrace-Kollie, Madam Grace T. Kortu, Head of the Women Empowerment Division at MoGCSP, urged participants to treat the project urgently.
“This project must demonstrate tangible impact—it cannot be business as usual,” Madam Kortu emphasized. She highlighted the need to meet the objectives of the World Bank loan and grant agreements and encouraged participants to embrace an “unlearn, learn, and relearn” mindset for effective implementation.
She further noted that the initiative is part of a broader goal to economically empower Liberians, promote self-reliance, and drive societal development. Madam Kortu also called on Gender County Coordinators to cascade the training into their respective communities, ensuring its benefits extend beyond the workshop participants.
The six counties prioritized under the LWEP—Gbarpolu, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Rivercess, and Montserrado—are poised to benefit significantly. The project is designed to impact 267,200 individuals across 750 communities, with 36,000 women set to receive livelihood grants directly.
At the institutional level, Component 4 of LWEP focuses on strengthening the capacities of MoGCSP and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). This includes generating sex-disaggregated data and executing gender-responsive programs aligned with national policies.
Madam Viola Cooper-Teamah, Regional Gender Coordinator, expressed optimism about the workshop’s potential to inspire lasting change.
“We pray this training empowers participants with the knowledge they can carry back to their counties and share widely,” she said, encouraging proactive engagement from all involved.
Participants echoed her sentiments, commending the Liberian government and LWEP for the initiative. “This training has equipped us to address GBV and advance women’s empowerment meaningfully,” one attendee remarked.
The Liberia Women Empowerment Project aims to challenge harmful social norms, improve access to essential services, and promote sustainable livelihoods through community-led approaches. By addressing these critical issues, the initiative is well-positioned to bring transformative change to women and communities across Liberia.
