The Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), with support from the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), continues to advance inclusive governance by strengthening citizen engagement and legislative accountability across Liberia.
Working alongside the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), U-Movement, and other civil society organizations, WONGOSOL is implementing legislative monitoring and constituency dialogue initiatives aimed at enhancing participation, transparency, and inclusion—particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Promoting Inclusive Legislative Dialogue
On December 8, 2025, WONGOSOL facilitated a legislative monitoring and constituents’ dialogue in Margibi County, bringing together citizens, local government officials, traditional leaders, and the District #3 lawmaker.
The engagement provided constituents with an opportunity to receive legislative monitoring reports and gain deeper insight into the efforts of their elected representative toward inclusive governance.
Participants included the Head of County Zoes, the Paramount Chief, the Relieving Commissioner representing the Superintendent’s Office, the Director of Culture and Tradition, community chairpersons, security sector representatives, rural women, the Women in Peace Network, the Federation of Liberian Youth Margibi Secretariat, and the District #3 lawmaker, who also serves as Chair of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia.
In her opening remarks, the Relieving Commissioner emphasized that regular constituency dialogues are critical for strengthening citizen participation, improving accountability, and fostering collaboration between communities and county leadership.
Citizens Raise Key Governance and Development Concerns
Following the presentation of the legislative monitoring findings, citizens actively engaged in discussions and commended the initiative for creating space for dialogue. Participants shared detailed recommendations addressing social protection, governance, infrastructure, and service delivery.
Key issues raised included the need to establish rehabilitation centers for underprivileged youth, improve transparency through online publication of legislative reports and agendas, expand education and health services, and ensure stronger representation of communities in local governance structures.
Citizens also highlighted the importance of empowering persons with disabilities, strengthening social security compliance, fast-tracking pension payments, improving healthcare delivery, advancing community colleges and TVET centers, enhancing road and electricity connectivity to support agriculture, rebuilding C.H. Rennie Hospital as a regional referral center, and strengthening sanitation and WASH regulations.
On the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), participants called for restructuring the current bill to focus on consent rather than an outright ban.
Lawmaker Responds with Commitments and Ongoing Actions
In response, the district #3 lawmaker acknowledged the concerns raised and outlined several ongoing advocacy efforts within the Legislature. She disclosed that members of the House of Representatives are advocating for the addition of six staff members in lawmakers’ offices to improve inclusivity, with designated representation for women, youth, religious leaders, and persons with disabilities.
She further highlighted discussions with the National Lottery Authority (NLA) to support persons with disabilities in Margibi County through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Additionally, the Margibi PWD focal person has been linked with both the NLA and the National Commission on Higher Education to strengthen representation and access to opportunities.
The lawmaker also revealed that the House of Representatives has passed the “Old Folks Bill,” which is currently before the Senate. Emphasizing that health is a non-partisan issue, she noted that the Margibi legislative caucus is advocating for the inclusion of C.H. Rennie Hospital in the national budget. She further announced that the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation has committed to commencing official water connections in Margibi by 2026, reinforcing WASH initiatives in the county.
Advancing Accountability and Inclusive Governance
The legislative monitoring and constituents’ dialogue in Margibi County successfully strengthened citizen participation, enhanced transparency, and fostered constructive engagement between lawmakers and their constituents. Citizens’ recommendations highlighted pressing governance and development challenges, while the lawmaker’s responses demonstrated ongoing efforts to address these issues through legislative advocacy, collaboration with national institutions, and policy reforms.
Through this initiative, WONGOSOL reaffirms its commitment to empowering citizens, especially women, youth, and persons with disabilities, to actively engage in governance processes and hold decision-makers accountable in building a more inclusive and responsive democracy
