Monrovia, Liberia– Today, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, marks a significant milestone as the Women’s Legislative Caucus (WLC) of the 55th Session of the Liberian Legislature launches its comprehensive Five-Year Strategic Plan at an official ceremony held at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.
The event was attended by an array of dignitaries, including the President, the First Lady, the Speaker, and members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Gender, local and international partners, and the media.
The WLC’s Strategic Plan, meticulously crafted to provide strategic direction and guidance for the next five years, includes an annual work plan and is built around three key programmatic pillars. These pillars correspond to the three cardinal functions of elected representatives: legislative, oversight, and representative functions.
The plan aims to look at legislative function by Integrating a gender perspective into a wide range of legislation, draft, and advocate for laws promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The five years strategic plan seeks to harness female lawmakers oversight function through strengthening gender-responsive budgeting and hold relevant authorities accountable for addressing women’s rights and gender disparities in government policies, programs, and the provision of public goods and services.
The plan also targets representative function, stressing better representation in the interests, concerns, and values of their constituents, as well as promote women’s participation in politics, public leadership, and elections.
The overarching concern of the WLC is to encourage an inclusive, accountable, and participatory democracy.
The Legislative Group was established in 2006 to increase the participation and representation of women in decision-making, enhance gender-responsive legislation, and foster networking and capacity-building to mainstream a gender perspective into national legislation and budgeting.
The Caucus has also contributed to the passage of the Domestic Violence Law and has been a strong advocate for affirmative action for women in politics and other issues affecting women and girls.
In late April 2024, under the leadership of its Chairperson and President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, the WLC held a two-day retreat in Margibi County.
During this retreat, the group revised their Strategic Plan for 2024-2028 and developed an annual plan for 2024.
The implementation of the WLC’s Strategic Plan will be supported by the Liberia Electoral Support Project Plus (LESP+) from 2023 to 2026. LESP+ is a post-election program implemented by the National Elections Commission (NEC), UNDP, UN Women, and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), with funding from the European Union and the Governments of Sweden and Ireland.
The launch event was graced by members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus and other legislators from both the Senate and House of Representatives, national and international partners, and the media.
The WLC includes 11 female lawmakers who are committed to driving the agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in Liberia.
Members of the Women Legislative Caucus include Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Senate Pro-Tempore and Senator, Grand Bassa County, Senator Botoe Kanneh, Gbarpolu County, Senator Dabah M. Varpilah, Grand Cape Mount County, Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah, District #6, Bong County, Representative Bintu Massalay, District #1, Grand Cape Mount County.
Others include Representative Gbessie Sonii-Feika, District #3, Grand Cape Mount County, Representative Julie F. Wiah, District #2, Lofa County, Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh, District #3, Margibi County, Representative Rugie Yatu Barry, District #1, Montserrado County, Representative Prescilla Abrams-Cooper, District #5, Montserrado County, and Representative Marie Johnson, District #2, Grand Gedeh County.
As the WLC embarks on this new strategic journey, it calls for continued partnerships and support, both financial and in-kind, to achieve these ambitious objectives.
The Caucus remains committed to ensuring that women’s voices are heard and their rights are upheld, fostering a democratic society where gender equality is the norm.
The successful implementation of this strategic plan is expected to significantly enhance women’s roles in politics, public leadership, and various sectors of society, contributing to a more equitable and prosperous Liberia.
