By Perry B. Zordyu
Liberia-The Ministry of Justice through the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit has launched a Gender Policy and five years strategic action plan on Inclusivity. The five years strategic policy and action plan seeks to mainstream all development policies and programs that tend to achieve a true equality.
Giving the overview of the policy action plan, Mrs. Maude M. Somah, Director for Gender and Social Inclusion Unit at the Ministry of Justice said the sole purpose of the policy is to include women participation in decision making at key sectors of government and relevant legal framework. Mrs. Somah furthered it also enables the promotion and realization of gender equality adding the illuminated substantial gaps and shortfalls in the Ministry of Justice’s efforts to promote gender equality in its work is paramount.
The Director for Gender and Social Inclusion Unit of the Ministry of Justice stressed that it will enhance a called for adoption of a well-articulated policy on gender equality, equity and women empowerment to address its systems and practices in executing its mandate.
She noted that the purpose of the launch was to ascertain the extension to which the Ministry of Justice mainstreamed gender equality into its policies, systems and practices.
Maude M. Somah maintained that a closer analysis shows significant inequality between men and women at the different staff levels with women predominating at the lower professional cadre levels, while men are a clear majority in senior professional and management positions thus illustrating a gross gender disparity despite the existence of civil services guidelines
And policies that promote gender equality.
Launching the policy action plan, Justice Minister N. Oswald Tweh said the document encapsulates decisions and declarations of Liberia and global commitments on gender and women’s empowerment. Minister Tweh stated that it also demonstrates the continued commitment of the leadership of Ministry of Justice in advancing gender equality and upholding the adaptation, the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of
Women in Africa, and the solemn declaration on gender equality in Africa and revised national gender policy. The Attorney General of Liberia however reiterated the Ministry’s satisfaction on the development of the first-ever gender policy for inclusivity. “In pursuit of the mandate of the Ministry of Justice to effectively carry out the delegated functions and successfully promote the rule of law throughout Liberia, the gender policy comes in to ensure gender equality while executing its role.” Minister Tweh noted.
He stressed that this is critical in achieving sustained recovery and rebuilding of the legal infrastructure of Liberia. Oswald Tweh maintained that the development of the gender policy confirms the Ministry of Justice’s unequivocal commitment to take actions that will bring about more equal gender relations.
Minister asserted, “This gender policy ensures that all MoJ policies, strategies and programs are consistent with the long-term goal
Of eliminating gender inequalities. It therefore provides a mandate for the operationalization of its commitments and is accompanied by a comprehensive five-years Costed Action Plan (CAP) 2024-2029, which will guide the implementation of the policy interventions, and will be reviewed regularly. This gender policy comes at a right time.”
Challenging the Director of Gender and Social Inclusion Unit, Justice Tweh urged that the sector ensure and build on the best practices and measures articulated in the policy so as to achieve gender equality in Liberia.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Country Representative Madam Josephine Nkrumah stressed that the launch is a testament to the inclusion of gender noting that the policy action plan is the foundation of entirely including women and girls to governance. Madam Nkrumah said the Ministry particularly the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit must decentralize inclusivity if the sole primary objectives of the launch must be met.
The ECOWAS Country Representative told the gathering that when gender policy is into action and realization, it becomes a way of life for the people something she said the GSIU should prioritize accessing and implementing the policy to the fullest. Josephine Nkrumah reminded the Justice Ministry not to underestimate the inclusion of gender thus describing it as a new dawn noting that they should not fall prey to gender inclusion.
Meanwhile, the launch of the Gender Policy and a five-year strategic action plan is significant milestones which signal to shift the dynamics of inclusion both in private and private sectors. It brought together members of the Justice Ministry, Finance Ministry, Defense, the European Union, UN Women, ECOWAS, Civil Society as well as Ministry of Gender and was held on Wednesday, October 16 in Congo Town.
