Women’s Rights: Accra Peace Agreement
Implementations
Women’s Rights – 2003
A group of 8 women from the Mano River Women’s Peace Network (MARWOPNET) participated in the Accra peace talks as observers. Concern over inadequate representation led women’s groups to later publish the Golden Tulip Declaration, which listed women’s priorities and established a follow-up committee to ensure women’s full participation in the post-conflict processes. The Declaration focused on increasing women’s participation in decision making on issues varying from the government to HIV/AIDS prevention.[fn]”The Golden Tulip Declaration of Liberian Women Attending the Peace Talks in Accra Ghana,” PeaceWomen, September 1, 2003, accessed May 10, 2011, http://www.peacewomen.org/publications_enews_issue.php?id=105.[/efn_note]
Women’s Rights – 2004
In a theme that runs throughout the whole of Liberia’s reconstruction, women’s groups demanded more involvement in the process and political sphere. Only 4 of the 75 members of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA) and 3 of the 21 cabinet members in the transitional government were women. This disparity prompted women’s groups to demand that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) require all political parties to field at least 30% female candidates in the 2005 elections.1
A National Women’s Conference was held from May 10-14 and was supported by the UNDP, UNMIL, USAID, and the Liberian government. 250 participants from women’s organizations attended the conference. The conference set a national agenda for the full participation of women in the reconstruction process.2
- “Liberia; Women Demand Greater Participation in Politics,” Africa News, September 20, 2004.
- “Liberia; Nat’l Women Confab Begins Friday,” Africa News, May 6, 2004.
Women’s Rights – 2005
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.1 The within-party nomination process proved difficult and only 14% of candidates in the October 2005 elections were female.2
- “Liberia; NEC Will Demand 30% Women Candidates says Chairman Morris,” Africa News, June 23, 2005.
- “Liberia; Statement of the NDI/Carter Center Pre-Election Delegation to Liberia’s 2005 Elections,” September 9, 2005.
Women’s Rights – 2006
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.1
Women’s Rights – 2007
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.1
Women’s Rights – 2008
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.”1
Women’s Rights – 2009
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.1
Women’s Rights – 2010
The implementation of the Gender Policy program has not been evaluated.
Women’s Rights – 2011
No further developments observed.
Women’s Rights – 2012
No further developments observed.