6.3. Liberian government in post-conflict development: enhancing women’s peacebuilding and
6.3.1. Supporting women’s political participation and governance
Central amongst the government’s steps to consolidating peace in Liberia was the respective holding and success of the 2005 and 20011 Multi-party elections, in which Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won both rounds as president-elect. The first major commitment by the president was to follow through her assurance of women’s empowerment, evident in the appointment of women to positions of leadership in ministerial offices (International Crisis Group 2011:2), indicated in Table 5.2 below. This is in conjunction with other key positions occupied by women since 2003, especially under her regime as the president. Further delivering on her promise for an inclusive Liberia, her appointed cabinet constitute a representative mix of both men and women, with women making up 30 percent according to Landgren (2014). Likewise, the cabinet constitution most notably, include civil society actors and contra political parties from different religious, political, tribal, and regional setups (International Crisis Group 2011:2). This development opportunity for political inclusion particularly conforms to the provision of Article 5(a) of the Constitution of Liberia (1986), which states that “the Republic shall aim at strengthening the national integration and unity of the people of Liberia, regardless of ethnic, regional or other differences, into one body politic…” Similarly, Landgren (2014) alludes that women account for a third of administratively appointed County Superintendents under the current post-conflict government of President Ellen Johnson. A
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list of government and assistant Superintendents as provided by Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership, includes: Haja Washington (Bomi County 2004-2006); Gertrude Lamine (Gbarpolu County 2004-2012); Julia Duncan Cassell (Grand Bassa County 2004- 2011); Rosalind Sneh (Grand Kru County 2004-2012); Nyenekon Beauty Snoh-Barcon (Montserrado 2006-2010); Catherine Watson-Khasu (Grand Cape Mount County 2004- 2012); Melita Evelyn Gardiner (Maryland County 2008–); Edith Gongloe-Weh (Nimba 2009- 2011); Lucia F. Herbert (Bong County 2011-2012); Etweda Cooper (Grand Bassa County 2012-); Elizabeth Dempster (Grand Kru County 2012-); Christiana Dagadu (Nimba County 2012-); Selena Polson Mappy (Bong County 2012-); Tenneh Kabadeh (Grand Cape Mount County 2012-); and Victoria Wolobah Duncan (Margibi County 2012-).
Table 6.2: Liberian Women in Leadership – 2003 to Present
Years Office/Position Held Appointed Leaders
2003 – 2005 2004 –
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Acting Foreign Minister
Una Kumba Thompson
2003 – 2006 Deputy Minister for Planning at the Ministry of Gender and Development
Madam Lwopou Kandakai
2003 – 2006 2006 – 2006 – 2010 2011 – 2013
Minister at the Ministry of Gender and Development
- Acting Minister of Commerce - Minister of Gender & Development - Minister of Labour
Vabah Kazaku Gayflor
2003 – 2006 Minister of Youth and Sports Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes 2005 – Vice-presidential Candidate for the 2005-
elections
Amelia Ward
2006-2017 President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 2006 – 2008
2008 –
Minister of Finance
Director of the African Department of the International Monetary Fund
Antoinette Monsio Sayeh
2006 – 2007 2007 - 2010
Minister of Commerce and Industry Minister of Foreign Affairs
Olubanke King-Akerele
2006 – 2007 Minister of Justice and Attorney General Frances Johnson-Morris
175 2007 – 2008
2008 – 2010
Sept 2006 &
Feb 2007
- Minister of Commerce and Industry - President of the Anti-Corruption
Commission
- Acting President during the absence of President and Vice-President 2006 – 2007 Deputy Minister of Gender and
Development
Annie Jones Demen 2006 – 2012 Deputy Minister in charge of
Administration and Planning in the Ministry of Gender and Development
Benetta Joko Tarr
2006 – Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism
Elizabeth E. Hoff 2006 –
2010 –
Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare
Acting Minister of Health and Social Welfare
Vivian J. Cherue
2006 – 2007 Deputy Minister of Labour Sedia Massaquoi- Bangoura
2006 – 2007 2007 –
Minister of Youth and Sports Supreme Court Judge
Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie
2007 – Deputy Minister of Gender and Development
Annette Kiawu 2006 – 2012 Deputy Minister of Justice Cieaneh D. Clinton-
Johnson 2006 – 2012 Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs Krubo Kollie 2006 – 2012 Deputy Minister of Post and
Telecommunications
Estelle K. Liberty 2007 – 2010
2012 – 2014
Minister of Youth and Sports Minister of Education
Etmonia Davis Tarpeh
2007 – 2011 Deputy Minister in the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs
Pearine Davis-Parkinson 2007 – 2012 Deputy Minister of Education Hester Williams Catakaw 2008 – Deputy Minister of Justice Eva Mae Mappy Morgan 2008 – 2010 Minister of Commerce Miata Beysolow
2008 – 2012 Deputy Minister of Public Works Laurine Johnson
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2009 – UN Ambassador Marjon Vashti Kamara
2009 – 2012 2010 –
Deputy Minister of Finance for Revenue Acting Minister of Finance
Elfreda Tamba 2009 – 2014 Minister of Justice Christiana Tah 2010 – 2012 Deputy Minister of Transport Madam Kau Kidau
Joseph
2011 – Minister of Gender and Development Julia Duncan-Cassell 2011 – 2013
2012 – 2013
Deputy Minister of Administration Minister of Commerce and Industry
Aletha Brown
2012 – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Florence Dukuly 2012 – Deputy Minister of Health and Social
Welfare
Yah Zolia
2012 – Minister of Agriculture Dr. Florence Chenoweth 2012 – Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Sizi Subah
2012 – 2013 2013 –
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister of Mines
Eudora Blay-Pritchard 2012 – 2013 Deputy Minister at the Ministry of State for
Presidential Affairs
Elva Mitchell-Richardson 2012 – 2013
2013 – 2013 –
Deputy Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy
- Deputy Minister of Justice - Solicitor General
Betty Lamin-Blamo
2012 – 2014 2014 – 2015
Deputy Minister of Finance Minister of Transport
Angela Cassell-Bush 2012 – 2014 Deputy Minister of Justice Victoria Sherman-Lang 2012 – 2015
2015 –
Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare
Minister of Health and Social Welfare
Dr. Bernice Dahn
2012 – 2015 2005 –
Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Assistant Minister of Tourism
Jacqueline Capehar 2013 – Deputy Minister of Education Hawa Goll-Kotchi
2013 – 2014 Deputy Minister of Justice Wheatonia Dixon-Barnes 2013 – 2014 Minister of Public Works Antoinette Weeks
2014 – Deputy Minister of Commerce Candace Eastman
177 2014 – Deputy Minister of Research, Policy and
Planning at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
Mardea E Martin-Wiles
2014 – Minister Gender, Children and Social Protection
Julia Duncan-Cassell 2014 – Deputy Minister of Gender Sienne Abdul-Baki 2015 – Deputy Minister of Transport Jaunita Traub-Bropleh 2015 – Deputy Minister for Industry and Inspector
General
Ellen O. Pratt 2016 – Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Kula Fofana
2016 – Foreign Minister Marjon Vashti Kamara
Source: Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership (Republic of Liberia). Available at:
http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Liberia.htm – Liberia: President Sirleaf Makes New Appointments in Government. Available at: www.allafrica.com/stories/201411160 368.html In addition to opening the space for political inclusion, Article 5(a) of the Constitution of Liberia (1986) provisions that “…the Legislature shall enact laws promoting national unification and the encouragement of all citizens to participate in government…” Upholding this responsibility, the government of Liberian has taken additional steps to advance women’s leadership and representation in decision-making and development processes by adopting and launching a series of initiatives. For example, in July 2007, President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf established the non-partisan Liberian Women’s Legislative Caucus (WLC), an initiative that comprised fourteen female legislators and parliamentarians from the different political parties. This group works in collaboration with women’s civil society organizations and the National Gender Machinery to ensure equal and increase representation and participation of women in government (Government of Liberia 2014:29). Their tasks include the advancement and protection of their social and economic rights in society through the formulation and adoption of laws, policies and government initiated programmes. Embracing this responsibility, the WLC in 2010 presented its Gender Equity in Politics bill, recommending that more women be accorded platform to participate in politics (Luppino and Webbe 2011:108). While this bill was to be considered after the 2011 elections, the fact that it had been tabled was a positive boost for women, especially as the number of women vying for political offices actually increased during the presidential elections in 2011 (Luppino and Webbe 2011:108;
Government of Liberia 2014:27). Accordingly, reports of the 2011 electoral processes
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document the participation of 102 women in total and three others as contenders for the office of the President of State. This participation was greatly supported by the Ministry of Gender and Development in association with other state institutions and women’s organizations, as averred by UI-4 thus:
In the lead up to the 2011 elections, the Ministry alongside other state and women’s organizations, worked in partnership to enhance women’s participation in politics. The Ministry supported women candidates by providing them materials to enhance their own campaigns. And in preparation for the 2017 presidential elections, the Ministry has started identifying potential female candidates and having training with them on how to go about their campaigns properly and how to use their voices and skills positively to get what they want.
Consistent with this assertion, is the study observation that furthering women’s political participation is of particular interests to women’s strategic goal of empowerment and equality in the arena of public decision-making, especially given their trajectory in the pursuit of peace in Liberia. Besides, the context of women’s involvement in politics and leadership are important for the functionality of democracy that should represent the composition of society as whole, more so, societies transitioning from conflict. More about advancing women’s political leadership, the Government of Liberia in due consideration of the Gender Equality Law by WLC, approved the amendment of the Section 4.5 of the country’s Elections Law in March 2014. Seen as a major step towards political inclusivity, this review basically endorsed gender equality and 30 percent quota of women’s political participation in government and electoral processes (Carter 2014; Government of Liberia 2014:27). Over and above the fact that this amendment was and remains a great reinforcing factor for women’s empowerment in politics, the women of Liberia are now pushing for a 50/50 representation in parliament (UI-4 July 2015). To empower and strengthen women’s participation in the political scenery and generally; is a human, civic and constitutional right; a given reaffirmed by UI-4 to the effect that:
With the ongoing Constitutional Review process and the fact that women continue to be consulted on it, Liberian women must become more confident, proactive and persuasive in ensuring the recognition of their rights to equal participation and representation in all electoral and appointed public and private offices, as well as protection in political state of affairs in Liberia. Women’s request for 50/50
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representation has been on for 10 years now, but it kept being pushed under the table.
First we pushed for 30/70 in the Constitution review, and since this proposal is in consideration, we are now more assertive in demanding for 50/50. Given our current demand, a Gender Parity Bill, supported by her Excellency has now been tabled before the Senate for due consideration in the Constitutional Review. Truth is, this 50/50 proposal has sparked debates and is viewed by some of our male counterparts as well as some women to be too ambitious, immense, and undemocratic a request. But as women, we cannot relent in our efforts, especially with the next presidential elections just around the corner.
Most research participants expressed the same view, highlighting the requisite for women’s political representation in Liberia’s emerging democracy. Particularly, UI-5 and UI-7 (July 2015) stressed the material value of having numeric and quality balance of women in leadership and governance processes. Having such symmetry remains one of the vehicles for awareness raising, recognitive and collaborative efforts, confidence and skills building, which are boosts for attaining sustainable post-conflict processes. Besides, one of the recommendations of from the five year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action 1995 on gender equality at the twenty-third Special Session of the UN General Assembly in June 2000, was a call on governments to “set and encourage the use of explicit short- and long-term time-bound targets or measurable goals, including, where appropriate, quotas to promote progress towards gender balance in all areas, and particularly in decision- making” (United Nations Report 2000). In recognition of this revision vis-à-vis the reality on the ground in Liberia, an important aspect alluded to by the research participants for was that women’s organizations are indispensable role players in advocating and urging the fulfilment of such reference and promoting the meaningful participation of women in the arena of political and public leadership.