By Domingo Dargbeh
The Ministry of National Defense has taken a major step toward gender inclusion within the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), signing a two-year partnership agreement with UN Women-Liberia to boost female participation in the military.
The signing ceremony, held at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia, marks the launch of a $650,000 initiative under the Elsie Initiative Fund, which aims to strengthen women’s role in peace and security and increase their numbers in the AFL’s upcoming nationwide recruitment drive.
Under the agreement, the project will focus on expanding opportunities for women in defense, offering specialized pre-recruitment training, gender awareness programs, and the establishment of a pre-deployment training center. It will also support nationwide recruitment campaigns, outreach to schools and universities, and digital capacity-building for female soldiers.
Speaking at the event, UN Women Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey, praised the collaboration as a milestone that aligns Liberia with international standards on women’s participation in peacekeeping. She noted that the program will fund recruitment messaging across all 15 counties, equip training facilities, and enhance the AFL’s Gender Department.
“This project puts Liberia as a trailblazer for women’s presence and contributions to peace and security,” Lamptey remarked, adding that the initiative positions Liberia as a regional example ahead of its upcoming term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
She revealed that the partnership follows a positive human rights assessment of the AFL, which cleared the way for the two-year funding set to begin in January 2026.
Defense Minister Brig. Gen. (Rtd.) Geraldine Janet George, the first woman to head Liberia’s Defense Ministry, hailed the agreement as a landmark moment for the military. She credited her predecessors, former Minister Daniel Ziankan and former Chief of Staff Prince C. Johnson III, for initiating the partnership process.
Minister George also disclosed plans for a future all-female recruitment campaign, aimed at encouraging more women to join the ranks of the AFL. “As the first female Defense Minister, I’m committed to leading this effort and showing young women that they, too, have a place in defending our nation,” she declared.
For his part, Major General Davidson Forleh, Chief of Staff of the AFL, assured that the funds will be used efficiently to enhance recruitment and training processes. He emphasized that special pre-recruitment programs will be organized exclusively for women ahead of the national exercise.
The partnership builds on ongoing efforts between the AFL and UN Women to promote gender equality within Liberia’s defense sector. In 2022, both institutions conducted a comprehensive barrier assessment using the MOWIP (Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations) methodology, identifying gaps such as limited access to equipment, childcare, and gender-sensitive facilities.
The latest collaboration, observers say, reflects a growing recognition that women’s inclusion in national defense strengthens not only the AFL but Liberia’s commitment to peace, equality, and international cooperation.
