Anti-Female-Drug Protesters Decry Man Shortage
By: Yassah J. Wright
Hundreds of young Liberian women have decried the shortage of men due to the proliferation of drugs. At least 90% of Liberian women on Thursday, August 7, 2025, joined the Anti-Drugs Campaign March in an effort to reduce, or eradicate the rampant spread of illicit substances in the country. Dressed in black, with various inscriptions including, “Say No to Drugs,” the demonstrators chanted: “We are protesting because no man. Our husbands are dying, our boyfriends are leaving. No man, Say No to Drugs.” Most of the women, mostly between the ages of 18 and 45, said the issue of drugs has increased lesbianism, homosexuality and allowed women to struggle. The protesters, mostly women drawn from various backgrounds, communities, civil society groups, youth networks, and other organizations, decried the issue of drugs, which they said has limited Liberian men, as they are left without husbands and partners’ protection. “Men are our backbone; if they are dying, we are suffering. Say No to Drugs and Yes to Life,” Hawa Freeman, a protester, said. The women decried the shortage of men due to the high increase and proliferation of drugs. They explained that men have become scarce while pleading with the Government of Liberia to provide treatment for Zogos. “We want the government to provide treatment for Zogos, and we want the government to provide treatment for our husbands, our brothers and stop drugs, because we want to marry and have children,” Peterlyn Cooper, a campaigner, said. According to them, men that are supposed to be loving and keep their homes are now taking drugs, and increasing prostitution. “We want men. We want to marry. Government, do something; Say No to Drugs,” female demonstrator, Korpo Kanneh, added. The proliferation of drugs has reportedly skyrocketed across Liberia, with 75% of Liberian youths engaged in consuming the narcotic substances. The protesters urged the government to take decisive action against the spread of illicit drugs and the growing addiction crisis that is devastating communities. “Our children are dying, and our communities ridicule us because our sons and daughters have become ‘zombies’ on the streets, Say No to Drugs, Say No to Zombies,” they chanted. “We Are Tired of Kush,” “Say No to Drugs,” and “No More Zombies,” the protesters lamented as they called on the government to treat drugs as a national emergency. Meanwhile, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai on Wednesday declared a bold national response to the drug crisis in Liberia. The President announced an aggressive, multi-pronged National Anti-Drug Action Plan in response to the alarming surge of drug abuse and trafficking across the country. He described the proliferation of drugs as “an attack on our future” and reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to safeguard Liberia’s youth, communities, and future generations from the scourge of substance abuse. “We cannot allow the spread of illicit drugs to turn our children into victims, our communities into ghettos, and our neighborhoods into shelters for criminal elements,” the President declared.