Children combatants participated in the same demobilization programs as adults before spending time in separate interim care centers. By the end of 2004, a total of 8,547 boys and 2,477 girls had been demobilized. While the intended stay in the care centers for these children was 12 weeks, many of them were concerned for their safety and the problems associated with reintegration. Even with the assistance of their families many refused to leave the care centers.
Several reintegration programs were designed to fit children’s specific needs. One of these, the Women and Children’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program, channeled approximately $15M through civil service organizations to provide educational opportunities and psychological support in addition to addressing substance abuse, HIV/AIDS/STDs, gender-based violence, and other problems arising out of the experience of many former combatants. The Youth Reintegration Training and Education for Peace program focused on not only providing formal education but also equipping youths with conflict management and other psychological skills. Outside of the DDRR process, UNICEF launched a Back-to-School campaign that helped put 800,000 children and 20,000 teachers back in schools. UNICEF’s major contributions to the campaign were educational supplies, teacher training, safe water, and sanitation supplies. Part of the return-to-school program included an accelerated learning program that condensed six years of primary education into a three-year span. According to the Secretary General’s report, additional organizations ran smaller reintegration and education/vocational training programs.
Liberia’s three major armed factions (MODEL, LURD, and Government of Liberia forces) used an estimated 15,000 child soldiers during the civil war. Children soldiers participated in the same DDRR program as other combatants. However, instead of vocational training and a safety-net allowance of $300, former child combatants received stipends, uniforms, books, and other incentives to return to school. While child combatants would go through the same initial cantonment process as other combatants, they would remain there only 72 hours and then be lodged in interim care centers run by UNICEF and various NGOs. Children combatants were allowed to spend up to three months in their interim care centers after going through the demobilization process, during which period they received medical aid, counseling, reading lessons, and help locating their families.
No further developments observed.
No further developments observed.
The implementation of the Gender Policy program has not been evaluated.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf unveiled the new Liberia National Gender Policy on 18 December, 2009. This policy rose out of consultation with civil society, government ministries, the UN system in Liberia, women’s groups, and local and international NGOs. The policy focused on opening opportunities in employment, compensation, land ownership, credit, literacy, and access to justice for women. The announcement of the policy coincided with the beginning of the Second Annual Rural Women Conference in Monrovia.
A five-day national women’s conference was held in Monrovia. The conference was organized by the Ministry of Gender and Development in partnership with the UN and other actors. The theme of the conference was “Advancing Women’s Human Rights in Peace Building, Recovery, and Reconstruction in Liberia.”
The recruitment of women into both forces lagged substantially behind that of men. In the 4th class of recruits, the National Police Training Academy graduated women at a 4:77 ratio compared to men. Commissioner Alba Williams of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization stated that there were supply problems surrounding the lack of women recruits.
The restructuring of the police and armed forces of Liberia was a process that was supposed to result in forces that reflected the national composition of Liberia. Of the 1,633 police officers trained by April 2006, 87 were female. Sources mention difficulty in finding willing recruits.
Responding to pressure from women’s groups, the NEC stated it would require parties to field at least 30% female candidates in the October 2005 elections. The within-party nomination process proved difficult and only 14% of candidates in the October 2005 elections were female.
