AFELL Contents For AU
By Julius Konton
The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), has lauded the government for signing the African Union (AU) Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls as a state party.
As a means to proactively implement the legal instrument, AFELL called for swift ratification, domestication, and full implementation of the critical instrument to combat the pervasive violence faced by women and girls across the country.
Some of the crual acts recorded against girls and women included the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) involving the partial or total of the clitoris.
AFELL said, it is convinced that such move will show the intentional commitment of the state to implement the convention, and other international human right instruments to which the country is a party.
AFELL First Vice President, Counselor Bowoulo Taylor Kelley said, the signing of the Convention is timely as violence against women and girls remains unabated cutting across all sectors, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Violence, Madam Kelly said, manifests in many forms, including physical, sexual psychological or economic violence by intimate partners; early child and forced marriage, and the FGM that is deeply rooted in traditional and cultural beliefs.
Cllr. Taylor Kelley said, by signing the instrument, the government must set the basis for the necessary reforms to implement the convention as a responsible state party.
“This is crucial, because the instrument aims to address the root causes and drivers of violence against women and girls, strengthen legal and institutional mechanisms, and promote a culture of respect for human rights, gender equality, and the dignity of women and girls,” Madam Kelley added.
AFELL was established and accredited on February 10, 1994, as a national non-governmental and non-political institution, with a mandate to promote and protect the rights of women, girls, and indigent persons.
The institution’s core values are independence, impartiality, transparency, and accountability.
Its motto: “Equal Rights Under the Law,” stands as embodiment for the female lawyers.