After two days of intensive working sessions at the National Young Women and Girls Conference in Kakata, Margibi County, participants called on the national government to declare teenage pregnancy a national emergency.
Over 200 adolescent girls and young women representing the fifteen political subdivisions of Liberia stressed that the lack of sexual and reproductive health education is a leading cause of teenage pregnancy among girls. During their presentation, they claimed how the lack of education and awareness on sexuality leads to many young girls facing severe health complications and becoming mothers while still in school.
The two-day conference, organized by the Adolescent Girls Unit of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, aimed to empower young women by increasing their capacity to exercise their sexual, reproductive, educational, cultural, and economic rights. It also sought to promote networking and experience-sharing, creating a supportive environment for young women and girls to engage with stakeholders and challenge stereotypes through panel discussions on issues affecting them, while encouraging male advocacy and support.
Held under the theme: “Education: A Pathway to Building Resilience Against Gender-Based Violence and Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,” the conference was supported by Water Aid Liberia.
Specifically, participants urged the government, through the Ministry of Gender to take immediate and decisive action, such as providing free family planning services in schools and communities, similar to how condoms are distributed.
“We need family planning to be available for free, just as condoms are. Providing boys with condoms while neglecting family planning services for girls is unfair. You cannot teach them safe sex practices and leave us unprotected,” one of the participants argued.
In Liberia, adolescent girls and young women face numerous challenges, including early sexual activity leading to unwanted teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), child marriage amongst others.
Earlier, during the opening of the conference, Deputy Minister of Gender, Atty. Laura Golakeh, highlighted recent findings from the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) that revealed disturbing societal attitudes. The findings indicate that approximately two out of ten Liberians support domestic violence against women and children, while one in ten endorses sexual violence, including rape. Furthermore, four in ten Liberians believe that women are too soft to be effective leaders. These attitudes, deeply rooted in cultural practices and beliefs, present significant challenges in addressing gender norms, especially in rural areas where higher rates of SGBV persist.
Deputy Minister Golakeh noted that many survivors of SGBV, including rape victims, endure the trauma and shame of violence in a society where such cases are frequently compromised. To address these challenges, she announced that the 2024 conference would once again be decentralized, focusing on enhancing local efforts to support young women and girls.
Partners including Water Aid Liberia, BRAC among others delivered special remarks at the conference.
Additionally, the participants emphasized that boys can only be supportive allies if they are also empowered. “How can you expect boys to support us when there are no programs to empower them? If boys are empowered, they will become supportive gentlemen,” one participant argued.
The girls further asserted that focusing exclusively on empowering girls can lead to unintended consequences, such as fostering resentment among boys and increasing the risk of violence.
“By empowering us and leaving out the boys, you are simply oppressing them and giving them space to develop negative ideas that can lead to violence against young women and girls. We want boys to be involved in addressing gender-based violence so they can be educated about SGBV,” they concluded.
Meanwhile, a joint resolution containing key action points has been submitted to the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender.
