Monrovia, Liberia- The Paramount Young Women Initiative (PAYOWI) has held a day long dialogue with over fifty women not to tolerate violence against them whether in politics or not.
PAYOWI is headed by its Executive Coordinator and International Women of Courage award winner and the International Visitor Impact Award 2023 Atty. Facia Harris
The dialogue was held at the Toddler Foundation school in 72 which is owned and operated by a representative candidate Doris Q. Dalieh under theme: Stop violence against women in elections.
Giving the overview of the dialogue, Hawa Wilson the administrator of Paramount Young Women Initiative said, that dialogue was held to identify what can lead to violence against women in their homes and women in politics and to show support to representative Doris Q. Dalieh.
Mrs. Wilson added that if women understand what violence is and and always report it to the police, it help minimize some of those violence women usually go through instead of being silent.
She concluded that when women are somewhere, they will feel the pains of other women rather than dominant men found in a particular place.
As for her part, Atty. Facia Harris who presented on the topic: Understanding the causes, forms and prevention of violence against women in elections.
During her presentation, Atty. Harris expressed that as soon women put their hands up to contest elective positions, they can be called all sorts of names and posting nude pictures or videos about their past, which usually made many women to shy away from participating in elections.
The young Liberian female lawyer Harris told the gathering that usually when violence is melted against women, nothing can be done about it but encouraged women to always report violence against them whether at home or in politics.
Under our law no one should be insulted for supporting a particular candidate of their choice but rather everyone should have that free will to support whoever they want to support.
Article 5 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia says
Article 5
The Republic shall:
- aim at strengthening the national integration and unity of the people of Liberia, regardless of ethnic, regional or other differences, into one body politic; and the Legislature shall enact laws promoting national unification and the encouragement of all citizens to participate in government;
- preserve, protect and promote positive Liberian culture, ensuring that traditional values which are compatible with public policy and national progress are adopted and developed as an integral part of the growing needs of the Liberian society;
- take steps, by appropriate legislation and executive orders, to eliminate sectionalism and tribalism, and such abuses of power as the misuse of government resources, nepotism and all other corrupt practices.
“Despite gender policies and international laws on the book, violence is still being perpetrated against women she added”.
Women go through physical, psychological and emotional violence and when heartless men want to make women shame, they will start to discuss her body in order to discourage her.
Women don’t be used by men to destroy your friend woman because those men have nothing to lose after all and women should take the lead to report violence cases against them because both police and NEC are aware of violence against and when those cases are brought before them, they will not sleep on it.
Also speaking at the dialogue, the head of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) madam Siatta Scott Johnson told the women to not go against one another and let them convincing women to vote for men because the majority men in the house, the lower voices and decisions making of women.
Madam Johnson presented on the topic: Why women political, participation, Representation and leadership matters in Liberia?
“Let us encourage our sisters to always vote for women, adding that women are good leaders and decisions maker if they are given the chance because they know pain of another woman madam Johnson concluded.
I was blasting at my son and said if that to be shouting for men again, I’m unable to do so but everything that your said you know book, you not know book, I put my hands up to support women and I agreed with everything you have said here says, Dorinday Williams a participant.”
Also speaking, Hellen Williams encouraged women not to always say because of the children sake and called on women stop saying for the sake of children which is killing us and I never wanted to vote for any representative and senatorial but because of Doris Q. Dalieh, I will vote for her the participant added.
Meanwhile, the program officer Alpha M. Kamara of Sister Hands called on women to be committed in supporting women instead of saying it on the lips.
Mr. Kamara said in Liberia women don’t like to support each other because of selfish reasons and if women will have voice in the legislature, women need to stand firm to support their friend women and stop voting males.