The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has officially launched a five-year Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Policy, which marks a significant step in its collective journey towards a more inclusive, equitable and just society. Accordingly, the launch of the five-year (2024-2029) Action Plan, which is being supported by the United Nations Women, Embassy of Sweden, United States Embassy, as well as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), symbolizes not only the continuation of a vision for gender equality, but also the commitment of its full implementation by the Liberian government. Making remark and launching the Five-Year Action Plan on Thursday, November 21, 2024 in Monrovia, MIA Deputy Minister for Research & Planning, Edward Mulbah asserted that MIA Minister takes key interest in developing a framework that guards how they as government institutions, perform the various functions, and one of such frameworks is this policy. He said the MIA takes key interest in the policy because they believed that it is meant to address series of problems facing the country and its people. “Our expectation is that, discussions here today are fundamental to seeing how those problems that obstructed women’s participation in strategic political leadership. Those issues that underpin by tradition and cultures is what the policy will address,” he said. He said the concept of gender have been defined in so many ways that actions that have been taken by different societies, as some of those actions and practices may not be good in other context. According to him, the event is not simply the formal introduction of a policy, but the beginning of a critical phase, for its full implementation. He indicated that the policy which has been developed with a deep understanding of Liberia’s socio-cultural and economic landscape, will be put into action, where the real work begins. “We have observed that in the past, it was very difficult to see women in key leadership positions in Liberia, something that is gradually taking another path. With that being said, I want to officially launch this program here today on behalf of the MIA, and this is a draft working policy document on gender,” he said. Giving an overview of the program, MIA Gender and Social Inclusion Director, Cecelia J. Gould asserted that the policy is an outcome of several years of development that started under the previous government, thus emerging out of the ongoing National Gender Policy. She indicated that the launch of the document serves as a call to action for everyone, whether as government officials, activists, community leaders or ordinary citizens to step forward and take ownership of the agenda. According to her, the policy is not just a mere document, but an embodiment of years of collaboration, research and foresight that reflect the voices and needs of the various communities, especially women and marginalized groups. Madam Gould noted that the development of the National Gender Policy (NGP) has been a longstanding effort, supported by multiple stakeholders, including government, civil society and international partners. “The previous government laid the groundwork for a robust gender policy framework, and it is with great pride that we, under the current administration, are able to continue its implementation today. The launch of this Gender and Social Inclusion Policy marks the next step in fulfilling the promises made under the NGP,” she said. She indicated that the launch of the Action Plan demonstrates continuity in governance, where the incoming government ensures that progress does not stall, but rather build on the foundation already laid, stressing that the Gender and Social Inclusion Policy reflects a holistic approach to addressing gender inequalities and social disparities across all sectors of society. Representatives from UN Women, Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), as well as the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning welcome the initiative and expressed their willingness in working with the MIA in the various counties for its full implementation in the 15 political sub-division of Liberia. Macpherson C. Marbiah writes/0886442881-0777250370
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