From India to Liberia: Advancing Women’s Leadership Through South-South Cooperation

From 10 to 15 August 2026, a delegation of 12 Liberian legislators, including nine Representatives and three Senators, together with legislative support staff and UN Women Liberia participated in a South-South Peer Learning Mission to India. The mission formed part of the project “Women Legislators in Liberia: Promoting Voice, Leadership and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development,” funded by the IBSA Fund through the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and implemented by UN Women Liberia in partnership with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL). 

South-South cooperation is a central part of the project, connecting Liberia’s priorities with knowledge and experience from IBSA countries. 

For Hon. Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh, Chairperson of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia and Head of Delegation, one of the strongest messages from India was its approach to women-led development, including “women shaping development as leaders, entrepreneurs, legislators and decision-makers. We saw how this vision is connected to systems, from gender-responsive budgeting and women’s political representation to Self-Help Groups, digital and financial inclusion, and programmes that support women’s economic empowerment”. 

The delegation engaged India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, as well as institutions working on digital public infrastructure, gender-responsive budgeting, services for women, education and research. The exchanges enabled legislators to examine how policy commitments are translated into financing, institutions and services, and consider lessons relevant to Liberia. 

A key area of learning was India’s Gender Budget Statement, which tracks public spending on women and girls. Discussions explored how Liberian legislators can strengthen budget oversight by tracking allocations, assessing spending and examining whether programmes are delivering results for women and girls.

At India’s National e-Governance Division, the delegation explored digital inclusion and digital public infrastructure, including DigiLocker, while considering affordability, privacy, cybersecurity, limited connectivity and digital literacy. These lessons are particularly relevant to the IBSA Fund project’s economic empowerment activities for rural and young women, which include adult education, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital tools and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).

The mission also examined India’s One Stop Centre model for coordinating medical, legal, police, counselling and referral services for women affected by violence, while discussions with Mobile Creches highlighted how childcare can support women’s economic and public participation.

At O.P. Jindal Global University, the delegation explored opportunities for professional and academic development for young Liberian women and professionals, building on its partnership with the University of Liberia and complementing opportunities through India’s ITEC Programme.

India’s Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Manoj Bihari Verma emphasized the broader significance of the exchange:

“This exchange also carries special significance as a reflection of the friendship and solidarity that define South-South cooperation.”

Dr. A. H. Monjurul Kabir, UN Women Country Representative in Liberia, noted that the mission provided legislators with practical insights into women-led development, political leadership, gender-responsive budgeting, economic empowerment, digitalization and institutional responses to violence against women.  

“This knowledge-based mission has provided Liberian legislators with insights for their legislative, oversight and advocacy roles.” To explore further what this means for Liberia, and what the wider African continent can learn from such partnerships listen to Dr. Kabir’s interview with Channel Africa Rise & Shine here. 

As the project’s first formal South-South peer learning exchange, the mission established new institutional connections and identified practical areas for continued cooperation, including gender-responsive budgeting, digital and financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, responses to violence against women, and opportunities for young women and professionals. UN Women Liberia and WLCL will take these lessons forward to strengthen work already underway in Liberia.