-DEN-L holds two days Multi Stakeholders Dialogue in Lofa
By Tokpa Tarnue, tarnue-tarnue82@gmaul.com
VOINJAMA, Liberia – A two day multi stakeholder’s dialogue with civil society organizations working under the European Union/ United Nations Spotlight Initiative in Lofa has ended in Voinjama city.
The EU/UN Spotlight Initiative conducted by the Development Education Network-Liberia DEN-L seeks to create a space for all in society to play an active role in ending violence against women and girls in Liberia.
Program Officer, Mr. Albert Momoh says traditional leaders have an important role in the fight to end violence against women.
Mr. Momoh said rape had become especially prevalent, accounting for all sexual and gender based violence cases.
Out of 2,000 cases reported in 2018, 60 % were rape.
Giving an overview of the two days dialogue on behave of the UN Women Program Officer, Mr. Albert Momoh of the United Nations assigned to Lofa said the project focuses on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls including sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices.
He said the two days dialogue focused on reviewing the progress/successes made since the inception of their leadership, challenges and recommendations.
“It will also help to improve participants’ understanding of CSOs/CBOs Network, Traditional leaders and Stakeholders roles and responsibilities in ending Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)/ Sexual and Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Harmful Practices (HP)s; and respecting the rights of all” He disclosed.
According to him, it also seeks to provide the space for frank exchanges of views and common ways to approach issues.
“The importance of having traditional leaders play active role and show their support for the Initiative as they are “a powerful segment of Liberian society.” He noted.
According to him, the four-year €16 million investment will also reinforce existing programs to improve violence prevention, advocate for legislation and policies, develop institutional capacity, provide quality services, strengthen data collection and strengthen women’s rights movements for 600,000 people across five counties in the country.
He disclosed that Liberia has high rates of reported violence against women and girls.
“In 2018, more than 2,000 cases of gender-based violence were filed with authorities. More than 60 per cent of these cases were classified as rapes. These numbers do not capture the true state of the violence women and girls face as many more cases are not reported or are settled out of court” Mr. Momoh emphasized.
The Spotlight Initiative is a global, multi-year partnership between European Union and United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.
Launched with a seed funding commitment of €500 million from the European Union, we represent an unprecedented global effort to invest in gender equality and women’s empowerment as a precondition and driver for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Spotlight Initiative is also responding to all forms of violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, femicide, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation.
As a demonstration fund for action on the Sustainable Development Goals, we are demonstrating that a significant, concerted and comprehensive investment in gender equality and ending violence can make a transformative difference in the lives of women and girls.
The interventions focus on six mutually-reinforcing programming pillars.