Capitol Hill, Monrovia–The Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Richard Nagbe Koon, has made a compelling call for renewed and intensified efforts to increase the number of women serving in Liberia’s Legislature.
Delivering the keynote address at the induction ceremony of the newly elected officers of the Women Legislative Caucus of Liberia, Speaker Koon described the current state of female representation as “dismal” and “alarming,” citing stagnation and a troubling decline over recent years.
The ceremony, held on the grounds of the Capitol Building, marked the beginning of a new leadership term for the Women Legislative Caucus, and served as a platform for reflection on Liberia’s ongoing struggle with gender inequality in political representation.
According to Speaker Koon, women currently make up just 10.7% of the National Legislature, a statistic he called unacceptable in a democratic society. He noted that of the 73 seats in the House of Representatives, only eight are held by women, while the Senate counts just three women among its 30 members.
“This induction is not only a celebration, but a call to action,” Koon said. “We must confront the structural barriers preventing our women from fully participating in political leadership.”
The Speaker criticized repeated failures to pass legally binding gender quotas aimed at boosting women’s participation in governance. Attempts dating back to 2004 have faced setbacks in various legislative cycles, including the most recent effort in 2022–23, when proposed reforms to the New Elections Law stalled in the Senate due to constitutional concerns and resistance to penalizing non-compliant political parties.
Nonetheless, Koon expressed optimism and pledged his full commitment to a renewed legislative push. He called on his colleagues to join a campaign of male allies, “He-for-She politicians”, to champion the reintroduction and passage of a gender-sensitive New Elections Law.
“We cannot move ahead as a country and leave behind almost 50 percent of our population,” he declared. “This leadership must change the narrative. We must ensure that by the next induction, we will be celebrating real progress.”
He concluded by urging the new officers of the Women Legislative Caucus to place the issue of representation at the top of their agenda and assured them of his continued support in transforming legislative vision into national progress.
The ceremony drew members of the 55th Legislature, civil society representatives, and members of the press, all of whom applauded Speaker Koon’s bold message and firm stance on gender equality in Liberian politics.
