Liberia's Gender-Based Violence National Action Plan
by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Liberia is on the path to national recovery after some 14 years of a brutal civil war that left around half of all Liberian women as survivors of gender-based violence. However, rates of GBV, in particular domestic violence, remain high. For many Liberian women, the violence they experienced during the conflict period is still occurring.
My Administration has formulated a national response for the prevention and case management of GBV. The National Plan of Action adopts strategic interventions which will be implemented using multi-cultural and multi-dimensional approaches. We intend to:
* strengthen the health sector for effective and efficient response to GBV case management, documentation and reporting on clinical evidence
* reform the legal system to deal more efficiently and expeditiously with violence, particularly with the security of women and girls
* put in place systems and outreach services for psychosocial support and ‘safe homes’ for survivors of GBV
* provide appropriate skills to social and health professionals
* support for women and girls’ economic and social empowerment.
We must ensure that all planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation processes are supported by gender responsive data and analysis. We need to raise awarness of both GBV and the harmful traditional and cultural practices that perpetuate violence against women.
The plan of action will be implemented in close collaboration and partnership with sectoral ministers, our development partners, UN agencies, civil society organisations, community leaders and the media.
My Administration is convinced that the implementation of this multisectoral Plan of Action will move us closer towards being a country where women and girls can live free from fear and violence and enjoy mutual respect and confidence. We are determined to combat violence against women and girls and to protect the human rights of all peoples in our society. We will furthermore enforce the Rape Law – which came into effect the day after my inauguration – without fear or favour.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took office as President of Liberia in January 2006. She is Africa’s first elected female head of state. She is the co-author of Women, War and Peace: The Independent Experts’ Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women’s Role in Peace-building, UNIFEM, 2002. www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/LGEL-5FMCM2/$FILE/unicef-WomenWarPeace.pdf?OpenElement
This article is based on President Johnson Sirleaf’s video presentation to the Brussels symposium
www.unfpa.org/emergencies/symposium06/docs/dayoneopeningsessionjohnsonsirleaf.doc