-Women Association and Gender Ministry raises concerns
By Garmah Never Lomo,garmahlomo@gmail.com
A report from the western Liberian County of Gbapolu says sex video, sexual exploitation, and other incidence of sexual abuse have become the order of the day in that area.
According to report, illegal Ghanaian gold miners in Bocomu District Gbapolu County are involved in video recording young women and girls while having sex with them.
The report said after video recording sexual activities between the illegal Ghanaian miners and women along with girls under 18 share the sexual video recordings on social media and among citizens in the county.
The sex video is being widely circulated in that county, something some say is disgracing the entire womanhood of women and girls.
In May last year in the Southeastern Liberia, there were similar reports of illegal Ghanaian miners video recording women and girls while having sex with them.
The illegal Ghanaian miners did the same in Grand Kru, Sinoe, River Gee and River Cess Counties now in Gbapolu County with same attitude of disgracing womanhood.
Against this background, the Gender Base violent taskforce, Rural women Association of Liberia in collaboration with Gender Ministry on May 16, 2019 petitioned authorities of Gbapolu County on several issues confronting women and girls in the area.
Reading petition on behalf of the group, Precious A Cooks from the youth accountability forum of Bopolu City, Gbapolu County petitioned the Superintendents and County authorities last Thursday on the high rate of sexual violence been committed by local and foreign national specifically Ghanians in mining areas on the rapid increase of girls dropping out of school in Bocomu District.
Madam Cooks explained that it is their concern that young women and girls being greatly affected with mining activities since 2018 Bocomu District Gbapolu County.
According to the women those practices are violating the education, health and social aspect of women and human rights adding that illegal Ghanaians miners are also affecting the growth and development of young people in the county.
The women group demand in the strongest possible term the intervention of County authorities into the alarming rapes cases and poor education system in Bocomu District and there is a need for the rape law especially the portion that has do with girls under the age eighteen to enforce the mining and labor law policies and social agreement.
They expressed that the enforcement of rape law, they believe that it will eventually stop operators from sexually exploiting, abusing and assaulting women and girls under age eighteen in mining communities.
The women disclosed that the act of rape and sexual abuse of young and girls by Ghanians is on the increase thus causing serious health and social psychological effects on women and girls in Gbapolu County.
Furthermore, the women revealed that early marriage and rape have become the order of the day in mining areas and miners are rapidly engaged in sexual relationship with girls inder age eighteen using as sex machine at the same video recording them while have sex with them.
The video recording which is been widely shared out to the public thereby disgracing entire womanhood of women and perpetrators are financially equiped from illegal mining activities and use the money to influence women and girls to abandoned their homes, families, and education.
The women group narrated that it can be recalled very recent that in one of the mining communities of 180 students is only been left with 80 students in school where as the rest abandoned school to go work for or stay with man in mining areas for monetary purposes.
The further stated that the drastic sexual base violent sexual abuse is on the increase in Bocomu District, Gbapolu County and they are tired seeing their women and girls dying from the weakiness if men in the name of rape.
They are also tired seeing their girls dropping out of schools because of sexual expliotation and tired living in fear and poverty must stop now the sexual violence or abuse against women and girls.
The women group recommended the following to the county authorities that they should call an urgent meeting with mining authorities to discuss mining enforcement policies and county authorities should stop illegal mining and take serious actions against perpetrators.
The county authorities should call on the district education office to visit schools and take action accordingly as well as Superintendents and lawmakers should publicly denounce the act of swxual violence in mining areas and call for mass meeting involving all stakeholders to address the disgraceful situations in the county.