The Civil Society Group Holds Dialogue On Laws And Policies In Liberia
By Alfred Kollie,alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
A group under the banner, Men Engage Liberia, a Civil Society Organization has ended a day-long dialogue on laws and policies in the Country.
Men Engage Liberia is a network of NGOs that advocate gender-based violence prevention and response, sexual and reproductive health and Rights, child rights and HIV/AIDS and STIs awareness on prevention and control established in August 2017.
The Center for Justice and Peace Studies is supporting the Men Engage in-country network activities.
Speaking at a one-day dialogue held in Paynesville, outside Monrovia earlier this week, the organization’s Chairperson Tamba F. Johnson noted that an estimated 250,000 Liberia youth are living on illicit drugs; over half of them are school dropouts.
According to Mr. Johnson, the illicit drug consumption by citizen’s mostly young men, is one of the primary contributing factors to all forms of violence and criminal acts and facilitations in Liberia.
Nation-building is being challenged, maintaining that the drug-addicted youths, may not have the requisite technical skills to work to afford them a stable source of income, based on their vulnerable status and at the same time becoming perpetrators of violence and criminal activities, Mr. Johnson noted.
He said to have a safe society where Liberians can live peacefully, the 2023 Liberian Drugs law must be promoted through awareness raising and advocacy for its full implementation by the government of Liberia.
‘’To have a safe society where you and I can live peacefully, the 2023 Liberian Drugs law needs to be promoted through awareness arising and advocate for its full implementation by the government of Liberia.”
Female Genital Mutilation and a sustained patriarchal system are also are also said to be hindering gender equality mostly for women, girls, and the marginalized.
Liberia, through the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders on February 6, 2023, banned the practice of FGM activities in Liberia and held ceremonies in Montserrado, Bong, and Grand Cape Mount reflecting the closure of FGM activities in these counties.
According to the Coordinator of Men Engage Liberia, the ban and closure according to Johnson are an affirmation of the Concluding Observation on Liberia by the International Convention on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2018 nothing to have the government become accountable and ensure full compliance and adherence by all practices (traditional practitioners and the government), should for collective actions to be instituted starting with us activists/ advocates.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs (number 5 “Gender Equality” needs to be achieved within a few years. Realistically, gender equality is a challenge in Liberia for women, girls, and marginalized groups.
‘’It is based on these, that Men Engage Liberia, a member of Men Engage Africa and Men Engage Global Alliance, is conducting this round table dialogue session, to ensure that we identify the best strategies to handle these issues through a strong and robust advocacy and networking’’ he ended.
Liberia Human Rights Advocacy Pledges support to fight against impunity
In remarks, the secretary General of the Civil Society Advocacy Platform Adama Dempster said his institution will continue support the fight against impunity, support to women who are victims of violence, and human rights abuses.
He wants CSOs to engage by raising alarm about human rights violence, drug abuse, and sexual gender-based violence in the country.
The day-long dialogue on laws and policies brought together government ministries and agencies and heads of civil society organizations to discuss the way.
Men Engage Africa was also represented at the event in Paynesville City on Monday.