Ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, ActionAid Liberia with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNBPF) a project named ‘Strengthening the Agency of Young Women in peace-building process and land tenure in Liberia.’
The project was launched Friday, 1 July 2022 in Monrovia. It is an 18 – month initiative that is being implemented in Sinoe, Gbarpolu, Magibi and Bong Counties.
It aims to enhance the understanding of women across the country on peacebuilding and land tenure in Liberia so as to mitigate violence and dispute.
Speaking at the launch of the project, ActionAid Liberia Acting Country Director, Mr. Joseph Madzvamuse said the project is being implemented by his institution with other organizations.
He named them the Liberia Women Empowerment Network (LIWEN), Community Sustainable Development Organization (COSDO), Women Education Development Network (WEDOL), and Women and Children Development Association of Liberia (WODAL).
He explained that the project also seeks to enhance and develop the leadership capacity of young women organization networks to organize and lead community actions.
She said it is intended to empower women organizations to constructively access and advocate for their land rights and inclusive land and natural resources governance to prevent conflicts and ensure peace is maintained in Liberia.
“This action is aiming to directly reach 3,530 people (3000 females, 530 males) including 2,500 young women between the ages of 16 to 35, and 500 elderly women in four counties in Liberia,” he said.
He noted that it targets over 20, 000 indirect beneficiaries through media engagement and other forms.
Serving as key launcher on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Gobah Anderson from the Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) unit, challenged the implementing partners to bring forth positive results.
Gobah said the nation will be at the breakpoint if there is failure to achieve what donors want and resulting in the loss of many opportunities.
He warned the implementing partners to manage the resources provided for the country to be used in an efficient and accountable way to gain the donors’ trust.
“The 2008 Liberia Rights Act has changed a lot of things including Liberia Landscape and Land Rights Governance administration, but the women’s rights to title is still challenging,” he noted.
In a special remark, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Peace Building Fund, Mr. John R. Dennis said since 2008 when the UNPBF’s presence was felt in Liberia to now, they have spent over US$81m on the peace-building process across the country.
Mr. Dennis further stated that they expect rigorous follow-up from ActionAid to make sure all these activities are implemented.
“What my office does is perfect coordinating, monitoring and providing oversight of projects we are providing through our implementing partners,” Mr. John R. Dennis emphasized.