PHOTO: Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Amid a spike in insecurity and ritualistic killings in the country, Supreme Court Associate Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay has urged members of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) to be an Ambassadors of Peace ahead of the October 10 presidential and legislative elections.
Associate justice made the remark at the first convention of AFELL after 29 years.
Justice Gbeisay, who was speaking at the 1st convention of AFELL, challenged members of the Female Lawyers Association to serve Liberia and the interest of the country above personal interest.
“The Liberian people believe in you, political leaders and parties believe in you, religious leaders believe in you and your legal advice and counsel can either help this country or break this country,” Justice Gbeisay added.
He also called on Lawyers to help Liberians and legal community in upholding the rule of Law, maintaining the peace and advancing the interest of the common patrimony above personal or political interest.
“As we approach elections within few months, we admonished all of you here today to be ambassador of peace and stability,” the newest Associate Justice to join the Supreme Court bench maintained.
According to him, Liberia needs patriotic citizens, who will always be prepared to take the interest of the country and its people paramount.
“This country would do well if we work harder and do all within our power in doing the right thing and make this country a better place for us, our children and generation yet unborn,” he emphasized.
Justice Gbeisay added that the Supreme Court acknowledged the contribution to the rule of Law in Liberia and pledged its support for the growth and development of the organization.
Chief Justice Yuoh cautions female Lawyers to unite
Speaking at the same event, Liberia’s Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia,Sie-A- Nyene Yuoh cautioned Female lawyers to stop competing against each other but rather reach out and pull other women up.
She made the disclosure at the 1st convention of AFELL under the theme, “Equal rights under the law: Contemporary issues of violence affecting women and children, said women bear a very substantial portion of the status quo in which they have been placed.
“And this is because we are not unanimously supportive of each other but instead of acting as a United front in promoting the progress of our gender when one of us is aspiring for a certain office or position, we tend to undermine one another,” Chief Justice Yuoh emphasized.
Liberia’s second female Chief Justice then went on to question Lawyers, “How can we be against ourselves and expect our counterpart to support us? She added: “We cannot all be or remain at the same level but let us champion the cause of women.”
“It is hard time that we provide moral financial and any positive form of support for one another; we who are privileged to be at the echelon of society must not only act as a beacon of hope for other women, we must reach out and pull other women up. Let us stop competing against each other,” the Liberian Chief Justice noted.
“It is hard time we as women of AFELL and women of Liberia at large rid ourselves of petty jealousy hatred, it is now time to showcase the power of women working in concert,” said Chief Justice Yuoh.
According to her, women constitute approximately 49.7% of the total population, therefore it is crucial that women’s participation in and representation in all spheres of the public and private sector in Liberia, especially with the ever-increasing population to ensure adequate protection of the rights of women.
She noted that it is unclear as to the status of a piece of legislation regarding an amendment to Section 4.5 of the New Election Law, wherein is allegedly included a proposal that political parties have no less than 30% of either gender in their leadership on their candidate listing.
She said that the ascendancy of women to these high offices in Liberia is a leap forward for the equal right of women to participate in politics and to hold public office, howbeit, the gap between genders is still wide and even greater for women in rural areas, indigenous women, women with disability and older women.
“We must resound the caveat that women will no longer remain in the backseat because their rights are at stake too. This caveat must be resounded by the unity we will exhibit as women in supporting each other,” she continued.
She told female lawyers that it is hard time that they collaborate and devise new strategies within the confines of the law to secure the rights.
”While it is necessary that we continue to denounce all forms of violence in our society, not only those perpetrated against women and children, but we need to become proactive by strategizing and working together to discourage and eliminate violence from our society.”
Female Journalists Association lauds AFELL
However, the President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), Siatta Scott- Johnson termed AFELL convention as a laudable achievement.
According to her, for over 20 years AFELL has been in the vanguard of ensuring that the rights of women and girls are protected.
“Like AFELL, FeJAL finds itself in the same business of providing the space for women and girls to be heard, while creating awareness on issues affecting women especially issues that violate the human rights and dignity of women,” she noted.
FeJAL also applauds the partnership that has existed between the two sister organizations, “We look forward to more meaningful engagement in the interest of women girls.”
“AFELL is a strong backbone for women right in Liberia and we cannot mention the name AFELL without mentioning Cllr. Gloria Scott, so we want to say to our sister AFELL that we’re in this with you,” she said.
The head of FeJAL added: “We know that this morning her home is well protected after she cried out for protection, she could not get, but now her home is being protected with police because crimes has been committed.
She called on leaders, especially President Weah to denounce all forms of violence against women and not been hypocritical about it.