Monrovia – As Liberia joins other nations worldwide in commemoration of this year’s 16 Days of Activism beginning November through December, President George Manneh Weah has called on Liberian women to stand up for their rights and resist all forms of violence against them.
He made the call at the launch of this year’s celebrations Monday in the capital Monrovia, at the age-old Antoinette Tubman Stadium named in honor of Antoinette Tubman, wife of Liberia’s 18th president William V.S. Tubman.
The self-professed feminist-in-chief, President also made a call for a sustained fight against sexual and gender-based violence in all forms, pledging that his administration would provide every necessary support to efforts aimed at fighting violence against women and promoting gender equality.
“All forms of gender-based violence against women are unacceptable,” President Weah said, adding, “This is one of the most shameful and horrible acts unfortunately on the rise in the country.”
The Liberian leader noted that the fight against gender-based violence in the country, coupled with the need to improve the lives of women, has reached a point that requires the collective action of all and not Government of Liberia alone.
This year’s 16 Days of Activism, “End Gender-based Violence in Work Places, Schools and Communities” eloquently captures the prevailing realities of gender-based challenges facing Liberian women, said President Weah, pointing out that same must be tackled with utmost speed so that Liberia is not left behind in the fight against SGBV.
“Child abuse, rape and trafficking among others are all sad manifestations of gender-based violence in the country and these must be fought with determination in a collective way,” Weah added.
He continued, “We must stand up to fight this shameful menace and create a safe and enabling environment for women and girls in our country.”
President Weah averred that gender issues are integral to his administration’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD, vowing that his government will provide appropriate support to institutions working to protect and empower women and girls against violence and abuse.
The Liberian leader, earlier on Monday, led a parade of several celebrants from the city center, Snapper Hill on Broad Street to the Antoinette Tubman Sports Stadium located at Lynch Street and United Nations Drive.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, which is celebrated annually from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world. The international campaign originated from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership back then in 1991.
