Margibi County representation Ellen Attoh-Wreh has been officially inducted into office as the new chair of the women Legislative Caucus of Liberia.
Speaking at the induction ceremony madam Wreh said the induction marks more than a change in leadership.
According to her, it is a moment to reaffirm the role of the Women’s Legislative Caucus and set a clear direction for the term ahead.
Delivering her induction address, the new head of the women Legislative Caucus of Liberia said her mandate remains focused to among other things work across political lines to advance gender equality and women’s political participation as well as bringing women’s voices into legislation, and to make the governance more inclusive and responsive.
She indicated that Liberia still has a long way to go especially with Women making up less than 11 percent of the Legislature.
Speaking further she pointed out that at the county level, representation is even lower.
However, the Margibi County Representative stressed that they have seen improvements in cabinet and deputy ministerial appointments after the 2023 election, which is commendable.
” But overall, the numbers reflect structural barriers that remain unresolved, rooted in long-standing norms, unequal access to education and resources, and systems that do not fully support women’s leadership”, she noted.
She reminded the public that Liberia has signed onto global and regional commitments, from CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, these are not symbolic but rather they come with clear obligations to remove the legal and structural barriers holding women back.
One of the clearest steps we can take is passing a gender quota law, she added.
Reflecting further, she stated that In 2022, the Caucus worked to amend the Elections Law to include a 30 percent mandatory quota for candidate lists.
As part of her new plan, Ellen said she will work to advocate for a comprehensive framework on temporary special measures, including a binding gender quota for both legislative and executive appointments.
According to her, Encouragement is not enough but rather needs enforceable provisions.
She disclosed that her strategic plan for the last four years in strengthening the legislative function will be to promote gender sensitive law making and championing specific laws, support gender parity in leadership, and reflect the realities of women and girls across Liberia.
At the same time, she reechoed the need to reinforce the oversight role by advocating for gender-responsive budgeting and holding institutions accountable for delivering on policies and programs meant to serve women.
Additionally, Madam Wreh wants the expansion of the representative function by increasing women’s participation in politics, supporting young women entering leadership, and working with communities to make political spaces more open, accessible, and safe.
Others she pointed out are, Strengthening the Women’s Legislative Caucus institution by improving internal operations, communications, and the sustainability of the Secretariat.
Across all of this work, we know the barriers women face remain serious. Most women still lack access to information, political financing, and networks of support.
Many carry the full burden of care responsibilities. Others are threatened or silenced when they try to lead.
These are not side issues, they go to the heart of why representation remains so low.
Acknowledging the work and importance of partnership, the women Legislative Caucus head used the ocassion to thank the European Union, the Governments of Sweden and Ireland for their continued political and financial support to women’s leadership and gender equality in Liberia.
“Your support has made it possible for the Caucus to remain active, visible, and engaged at critical moments and we are also pleased to acknowledge the ongoing support of the India-Brazil-South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA) Fund, a partnership between the Governments of India, Brazil, and South Africa”, she added.
She informed the gathering that said Fund is supporting a new initiative with the Women’s Legislative Caucus, currently under development, which will focus on leadership, economic empowerment, and regional exchange for knowledge sharing.
Moreover, she recognize the longstanding partnership and technical support from UN Women, whose consistent engagement has been central to the work and visibility of the Caucus and we also acknowledge the valuable contributions of UNDP in strengthening institutional capacity and promoting inclusive governance”, she added.
Madam Wreh also welcome NIMD as a recent partner to the Legislature, whose engagement will support institutional capacity building to the legislature.
