BUCHANA, Grand Bassa, Liberia-Although Liberia’s Vice President is a woman, the participation of women in national decision making remains debatable.
In Grand Bassa County, heated debate continues over the inclusion of women in local politics in one of Liberia’s oldest counties, generating divided opinions.
Some prominent citizens including former Grand Bassa County Superintendent Julia Duncan-Cassell frowns on what she considers as the exclusion of women in mainstream politics and major decision making of the County.
Madam Duncan-Cassell, who served as the last Gender Minister in the former Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf government, says not too many women are being considered in top and lower level positions in the Country. Nationally, Grand Bassa is no exception, judging by information coming out of other counties.
“There’s no woman appointed. Look at the local structure! We need to see more women,” the former female Superintendent points out.
“I must say thank you to President George Weah for appointing few women to senior positions in government; but we need to see more women in top government positions,” Madam Duncan-Cassell has stressed.
According to her, women are not fully involved in politics due to fear that their voices will not be heard by their male counterparts.
Grand Bassa County is just one of many counties where women are said to almost have little or no say in decision making.
Recent statistics shows that only one woman has been appointed in the local government structure by President George Weah.
At the national level, women represent a little over 12 percent of the Legislature. Only two women have been appointed as ministers in the CDC-led government–Gender and Health, something gender advocates say relates to women care giving roles in society.
The numbers speak for themselves, says Martha Treh, Regional Coordinator for the National Civil Society Council.
Mentioning the way political parties are being run in Grand Bassa, she says women are not given the chance to fully participate in politics.
“But my daughter they doing it? The man them given the women chance? How many women you see are chairpersons of political parties?“ Madam Treh wonders.
The Regional Coordinator for the National Civil Society Council thinks women are restricted or managed at lower positions in those parties and not supported for top level positions by their male counterparts, who see them as behind the scene actors in politics.
Madam Treh is therefore recommending that women be given more opportunities to play major roles in mainstream politics. At the same time, she is calling on the Liberian government and partners for more support in women’s development and participation in politics as well as in decisions making process of the county.
However, Grand Bassa County Superintendent, Janjay Baikpeh has refuted the claims by both Cassell and Treh, stating that women have been given opportunities to serve in top level positions in the County.
“That should be a myth! They are involved. If it comes to electoral processes, I have no control over that,” he lamented.
Superintendent Baikpeh claimed that there are more women involved in the decision making process of Grand Bassa County.
According to him, several women are in positions that allow them to fully participate in the politics of the county.
“It is incumbent upon women to exert themselves and serve at their best when given the opportunity and do away with believes that they will be marginalized by men in positions,” the Grand Bassa County Superintendent emphasized.
Of all the appointments made so far in Grand Bassa, Mr. Baikpeh said that seven women have been appointed. For him, this speaks volume about the full participation of women in the politics of the county.
With the exception of Nancy Greene, Statutory Superintendent of Grand Bassa County’s second district, who was appointed by President George Weah, the rest of the six women were officials inherited by the Weah government.
Our investigation also gathered that none of the seven women are in top level positions. The highest ranking woman amongst them is a Statutory District Superintendent.
The United Nations ‘Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women’. Article 1] in 1979 calls for inclusion of women in every sector and at all levels.
It says “Discrimination can stem from both law (de jure) or from practice (de facto). The CEDAW Convention recognizes and addresses both forms of discrimination, whether contained in laws, policies, procedures or practice.”
*This report was produced by reporters who participated in a recent gender sensitive reporting training held by UN Women. The content however does not necessarily reflect the views of UN Women.