A cross section of women and men in Liberia thronged the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD), a day set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women everywhere and to strategise on how to break down the barriers to achieving equality for all women. This year’s commemoration was held under the global theme ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,' and the national theme ‘Empower Her, Empower All.' The themes emphasized the need to drive financial resources, policy support, and commitments towards achieving gender equality and are aligned with the priority theme of the  68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68),  to be held in New York from 11 to 22 March 2024: ‘Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. Members of the United Nations Country team led by the Resident Coordinator, Christine Umutoni, members of the Diplomatic Community, representatives from Government ministries, women’s organisations, civil society among others, attended the celebrations, characterized by speeches, entertainment and a market exhibition.  In her welcome address, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honourable Gbeme Horace-Kollie stressed the transformative power of investing in women, emphasizing that it not only enhances their decision-making abilities but also boosts their confidence and access to opportunities.The theme colour for the commemoration was white, symbolizing peace, unity, and reconciliation. It served as a poignant reminder of the invaluable role women play in maintaining peace within their communities and the nation at large.The keynote speaker, the First Lady of Liberia, Kartumu Yarta Boakai pledged Government support for women’s empowerment initiatives including promoting education, health and leadership roles as well as encouraging that both men and women ‘walk side by side’ for the development of the country. She urged Liberians to unite in relentless determination for sustainable development and the advancement of gender equality and women's empowerment.Ms. Umutoni delivered an International Women’s Day statement from the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres,’ stressing the importance of supporting women’s organizations, investing in programs to end violence against women, and promoting women’s inclusion and leadership in various sectors such as economies, digital technologies, peacebuilding, and climate action.Echoing the sentiments, Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative, emphasized three critical areas essential for addressing poverty-related issues and advancing gender equality: gender-responsive budgeting and planning, investment in women’s rights organizations, and the importance of gender-disaggregated data collection. Honourable Moima Briggs-Mensah from the Women’s Legislative Caucus and Honourable Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, the Pro-temp of the Liberian Senate reiterated the need to have gender responsive budgets.Representatives of traditional practitioners, rural women, and youth groups emphasized the importance of equal participation, keeping girls in school, and providing empowerment opportunities, particularly for rural women. They stressed the urgent need to invest in women and strengthen gender-responsive budgeting as crucial steps towards achieving gender equality.As part of the celebrations, the Second Lady of Liberia, Stephenie Dahn Koung, honored three women in public service for their dedication and commitment to serving their communities.The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection hosted the International Women’s Day celebrations with support from the United Nations in Liberia and partners.  

The commemoration was held at the Vezela Vocational and Heritage Centre in Lofa County, Liberia. To mark the day, the Heritage Centre was handed over to the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia. The centre is one of four established by UN Women with funding from the Spotlight Initiative to provide dedicated learning space to teach former FGM traditional practitioners new skills to enable them to pursue alternative sources of income to replace FGM. Other heritage centres are in Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado and Nimba counties. Over 800 former traditional practitioners of FGM are benefitting from alternative economic livelihood programs such as climate smart agriculture, business, and vocational skills training. Traditional ceremonies to enforce the ban on FGM were also conducted. Traditional practitioners from Lofa County surrendered their customary tools used in the practice of FGM to Chief Zanzan Karwor, Chairperson of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL), signalling an end to the practice of FGM in the county. A year ago, on 6 February 2023, NACCEL made a historic proclamation to ban the practice of FGM in Liberia. Since then, traditional ceremonies to effectively enforce the ban on FGM have been conducted in five out of 11 FGM practicing counties in Liberia, namely Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Nimba, Bong and Lofa counties. The gesture was applauded by various stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Embassies of Sweden and the UK, the European Union, JICA, UN Liberia, civil society organizations and local authorities from Lofa, among others who attended the commemoration. Lofa is the fifth county out of the 11 FGM practicing counties to conduct traditional ceremonies. Antony Akumu Abogi, the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i., expressed gratitude to the European Union for their support in reducing cases of violence against women and girls in Liberia.   Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Representative for Liberia, delivered a joint statement from UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, OHCHR, and WHO, reiterating the UN's commitment to preventing and responding to harmful practices against women and girls. She noted a decline in the prevalence of FGM, highlighting progress achieved over the past three decades.   “We celebrate progress that has been achieved. The practice of FGM has been declining over the last three decades, and in the 31 countries with nationally representative prevalence data, around 1 in 3 girls aged 15 to 19 today have undergone the practice versus 1 in 2 in the 1990s,” read the statement.   In addition, Ms. Lamptey expressed hope that an FGM law will be in place soon to compliment the ban and that there will be stronger partnerships between the traditional leaders and civil society to continue the community engagement and education and will see economic empowerment for all women that have given up their tools and are ready to work to build a better Liberia. Development partners commended Liberia's efforts in eliminating FGM and reiterated their commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at ending the practice in the country.   Anders Arvidsson, EU Deputy Head of Delegation, emphasized the importance of abandoning harmful practices, stating, "When practices may be harmful to individuals, there is a need for change. Let us move towards a future where young girls are not subjected to FGM to transition into womanhood. Every woman or girl has the right to refuse harmful and potentially life-threatening practices." Johan Romare, Head of Development Cooperation for the Embassy of Sweden in Liberia affirmed the Government of Sweden’s dedication to partnering with Liberia to promote gender equality and ensure a life of dignity for women and girls.   In addition, Kate Thomson, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of UK highlighted that the UK Government is funding a local organization, HOPE to support alternative livelihoods to former traditional practitioners of FGM and teaching them skills such as tie and dye and soap making, among others, so that they abandon the practice of FGM.   Queen Juli Endee, Chairperson of the Taskforce on Ending FGM in Liberia, emphasized that traditional leaders would continue advocating for the passage of the FGM bill into law, following the establishment of a traditional ban on the practice. “We now have a traditional ban, but we need a law from the national legislature to compliment the ban.” She reiterated that traditional practitioners will continue to uphold their culture and tradition but without FGM and supports the concept of ‘Initiation without mutilation.’   The FGM day in Liberia was characterized by vibrant traditional performances, rituals marking the end of FGM in the county, and entertainment provided by the Liberia Crusaders for Peace.   UN Women supported the Government of Liberia and NACCEL in commemorating FGM Day and conducting traditional ceremonies to enforce the ban on FGM, with funding from the Government of Sweden.  

The Ministry of Health of Liberia, in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), today announced the arrival of 112,000 doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine- the first ever in Liberia. Studies have shown that children under five in Liberia experience high rates of malaria infection with a prevalence rate of 10%. The Malaria vaccine marks a significant milestone in the fight against malaria, a preventable mosquito-borne disease that kills a child under age 5 every minute in Africa. "The arrival of this life-saving vaccine is a game changer in our fight against malaria," said Adolphus Clarke, Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) at the Ministry of Health of Liberia. "We are committed to ensuring that every child in Liberia has access to this vaccine and is protected from this deadly disease." The RTS,S vaccine was piloted in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi since 2019 and has been shown to be safe and effective, reducing severe malaria by 30% and malaria deaths by 13%. "This is a historic moment in the fight against malaria," said Fatima Babiker, the Gavi Senior Country Manager for Liberia. "Gavi is proud to support the rollout of this life-saving vaccine to children in Liberia and across Africa. We are committed to working with our partners to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy and free from malaria." WHO, UNICEF and Gavi are working closely with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders ahead of the rollout of the malaria vaccine. WHO is providing technical guidance primarily focusing on epidemiological analysis to determine priority districts for roll out of the currently available doses, integration of the vaccine in routine immunization to boost wider uptake by the target group, and vaccine administration support to the targeted counties and districts, while UNICEF is procuring and delivering the vaccine doses to the Ministry of Health. "The arrival of the malaria vaccine in Liberia is a testament to the power of global collaboration," said Dr. Clement Peter, WHO Liberia Representative. "WHO is committed to working with our partners to ensure that this vaccine reaches all children who need it." "This is a day of hope for thousands of children in Liberia and millions in Africa," said Amadou Cisse, UNICEF Representative ai. "UNICEF is proud to be part of this historic effort to bring the malaria vaccine to children in Liberia and across the continent. We are confident that this vaccine will save countless lives." The arrival of the malaria vaccine in Liberia is a major step forward in the fight against this deadly disease. With continued collaboration and support, the Government of Liberia will ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy and free from Malaria. The Ministry of Health of Liberia plans to start vaccination in April 2024.    

The UN Resident Coordinator a.i, Mr. Antony Akumu Abogi, led the UN Country Team to present the Letter of Congratulations from UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres to H.E Joseph Nyumah Boakai, President of Liberia. Reiterating the SG's message, Mr. Abogi commended the President's call to unity for all Liberians. He also noted that the Secretary General conveyed trust that the President will support the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals and in achieving gender equality and youth empowerment. For his part, President Boakai has stressed continued engagement with the UN especially in the areas of food security and agriculture. The meeting took place at the Executive Mansion on February 5th .