-At SRHR Conference
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA, Liberia – In a convergence of local activism, global expertise, and high-level political will, the 2nd Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Conference opened on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, with a call to break the deep-rooted barriers to health and justice, Liberia must move beyond talk and into sustained, inclusive, and fearless action.
Held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town under the theme “Breaking The Barriers: Advancing SRHR For All,” the three-day convening brought together government officials, international advocates, rural community leaders, and Nobel Laureates. Day one, tagged: “Breaking free from false narratives” began with an opening plenary featuring a cultural welcome, special remarks from government and partner institutions, a keynote address from Dr. Dazon Dixon Diallo, and spotlight sessions on centering equity and aligning resources.
The afternoon was dedicated to Track 1 on Youth & Adolescent SRHR, with sessions on youth-led advocacy, creating safe spaces, and discussing the real fertility crisis. The opening session transformed from a formal proceeding into a stirring dialogue, punctuated by personal stories, stark data, and impassioned pleas for bodily autonomy.
A Personal Story Illuminates a Systemic Problem:
The conference’s tone was set unexpectedly by its guest speaker, Dr. Dazon Dixon Diallo, founder of SisterLove, Inc. She opened with a jarring anecdote from her morning. A hotel staffer had mistakenly complained about a “dirty” room because it allegedly contained condoms. “I said, ‘What is the problem? And what about the condoms makes my room dirty?’” Dr. Diallo recounted, channeling the incident into a rallying cry. “Given what you’re dealing with in Liberia, you would be celebrating someone who has the forthrightness and the consciousness to practice safer sex behaviors.”
She challenged the hotel management to train its staff in SRHR, declaring, “The hotel industry in Liberia needs you… They need human rights education. They need to understand what it means to be a part of the public health system because we are all participants in it.” The story served as a microcosm of the stigma, misinformation, and judgment that the conference aims to dismantle on a national scale.
Representing the government’s commitment, Hon. Gheme Horace-Kollie, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, commended the Amplifying Rights Network (ARN) for sustaining the SRHR platform. She reaffirmed the government’s dedication, citing President Joseph Boakai’s recent stance at the United Nations General Assembly against gender-based violence.
Outlining concrete priorities under the government’s ARREST agenda, Minister Horace-Kollie highlighted efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy and maternal deaths, and to strengthen cross-ministerial coordination. She provided updates on adolescent girls’ programs, including reusable pad training for hundreds of girls across several counties.
The Minister directly referenced recent high-profile rape cases involving former government officials. “We remain firm in our stance that sexual violence in any form is unacceptable,” she stated, assuring the audience that her ministry was collaborating with police to ensure “transparency” and that “justice is served.”
Gradual Gains and Glaring Gaps:
The Ministry of Health presented a sobering, data-driven picture of Liberia’s SRHR landscape. While there has been “notable progress,” significant challenges persist. The modern contraceptive prevalence rate has risen to 24% among married women, representing some 330,000 women. However, the maternal mortality ratio remains one of the highest in the region at 742 deaths per 100,000 live births. A critical concern is adolescent health, with nearly one in three girls aged 15-19 already being a mother or pregnant.
The Ministry identified key barriers, including limited access in rural areas, human resource gaps, and powerful sociocultural stigmas. Opportunities for acceleration were laid out: empowering community health workers, leveraging digital tools, and investing in youth-friendly, data-driven services.
A Nobel Laureate’s Blunt Truths:
Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee delivered a characteristically direct and powerful address, identifying three core obstacles: culture, education, and politics. She began by recalling a painful exercise where she and other African feminists were unable to say the traditional words for their vaginas. “They had made that word to be a bad word,” she said, linking this early shame to a lifetime of disempowerment. “From that age, you are being restricted… every other part is for you, but from this side down belongs to whoever you’re going to marry.” She called for the demystification of private parts from childhood.
Shifting focus, Gbowee challenged the singular focus on teen mothers, urging the audience to confront the “objects who create teen mothers.” She advocated for inclusive education that brings boys into the conversation. “The men in our community are too busy chasing the girls to be able to start to teach the boys,” she stated to applause. Finally, she issued a stark warning to politicians, particularly men, who oppose abortion rights. “Until you have your periods, until you’ve gone through a period, their monthly cramps… you have no right to decide on our bodies,” Gbowee declared. “Let’s stop the politics of women’s bodies because our bodies are not a political campaign instrument.”
Perhaps the most poignant testimony came from Ma Nowaai Ida Kaiser Palala of the Bong County Rural Women Girls’ Rights Foundation. Speaking with raw emotion, she grounded the conference’s lofty discussions in the stark reality of the Liberian landscape. “When we say we are using the media to reach everybody, what is the coverage?” she asked, her voice rising with passion. “Have we reached the villages behind Soweta? Looking at Bong County, where there’s no path for even a motorbike to ride there, have we reached there? No!”
She used a powerful metaphor to describe the relationship between international partners and the Liberian government. “We all go to the waterside to fetch water. The helpers will come… When the helper comes, who do they help first? They [help] the one that the water is already on their head. Liberian government, this is the time now for us to put our water on our head, so when the helper comes, they will assist us.” Her plea was for national ownership and leadership, with partners playing a supporting, not leading, role.
In conclusion, she approached the Gender Minister, holding imaginary instruments of harm. “Please take the RPG from me. Please take the cassava sticks from me. Please take the broken glass bottles from me… Please save us. Please save the young people. Make a safe abortion.” Her performance was a visceral representation of the deadly consequences of inaction.
From Rights to Justice:
Weaving the threads together, Dr. Diallo introduced the strategic framework of Reproductive Justice, which expands the conversation beyond health services and legal rights to encompass dignity, equity, and movement building. She outlined its four pillars: the right to have a child, the right not to have a child, the right to parent children in safe and sustainable communities, and the right to bodily autonomy.
“Health is about services and access to care. Rights are about law and policy. Justice is about dignity, equity, and movement building to achieve and sustain the other two,” she explained. Echoing Ma Nowaai’s call for sustainability, Dr. Diallo warned against complacency, using the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade as a cautionary tale. “We thought we had won our way… But the opposition was not done with us,” she said. “Hold on to your wins. Defend them fiercely. Never rest.”
Calling for a Transformative Approach
In a remark on day two of the national Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Conference, Senator Dabah M. Vapilah of Grand Cape Mount County challenged Liberian leaders and citizens to fundamentally reshape the nation’s approach to sexual and reproductive health. Senator Vapilah provided a nuanced historical and contemporary analysis of Liberia’s SRHR landscape.
The senator traced Liberia’s SRHR journey from the devastation of civil conflict to emerging policy reforms. She highlighted significant milestones, including the 2019 Domestic Violence Act, the establishment of a gender-based violence crimes unit within the Liberian National Police, and President Joseph’s recent public declaration banning female genital mutilation (FGM).
Despite these achievements, Varpilah candidly addressed ongoing obstacles. She emphasized that many young girls still face substantial barriers in accessing contraception and accurate health information, while preventable maternal deaths remain a critical concern. Senator Varpilah outlined several strategic recommendations: Prioritize comprehensive sexuality education, expand access to family planning services, strengthen national health systems, eliminate discriminatory practices limiting women’s and girls’ potential, develop innovative domestic financing models, and Combat corruption in public and private healthcare sectors
The senator praised international partners and local civil society organizations for their role in advancing SRHR. She specifically noted the Women’s Legislative Caucus’s ongoing South-South cooperation project, funded by the governments of India, Brazil, and South Africa through UN Women. Varpilah framed SRHR not merely as a health issue, but as a critical component of human rights, national development, and social justice. She stressed that protecting reproductive rights is fundamental to Liberia’s broader progress.
A notable aspect of her address was the emphasis on leadership representation. She highlighted the importance of increasing women’s leadership across government, organizations, and the private sector. “Together, we can build a Liberia that embodies health equity and justice,” Varpilah proclaimed, challenging conference participants to translate discussions into concrete actions.
The Conference:
The second Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Conference, organized by the Amplifying Rights Network, will culminate on October 10, 2025, with a clear mandate: to secure tangible commitments that improve health outcomes across Liberia. Day two, dubbed: “Tools to live with identity and autonomy” opened with a plenary featuring special remarks from satellite hubs and partners, followed by spotlight sessions on the broader dimensions of SRHR and using digital tools for awareness and access.
The afternoon featured parallel breakout tracks on Service Delivery & Access (covering contraceptives, SRHR for persons with disabilities, and community health systems) and Financing & Accountability (covering data for decision-making, domestic financing, and tracking progress). This year’s event has established five regional satellite hubs in Buchanan (Grand Bassa), Gbarnga (Bong), Ganta (Nimba), Zwedru (Grand Gedeh), and Tubmanburg (Bomi) Counties.
Day three of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Conference, dubbed: “Living bold and unapologetic” will include a final set of breakout sessions in the “Legal & Policy Environment” track, focusing on strategies for rights-based policy reform with speakers from various organizations, and will conclude with a performance by local artists.
