Monrovia: The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), under the leadership of its President, Cllr. Philomena T. Williams, and Board Co-Chair, Justice Felicia Coleman, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, convened a strategic meeting with UNICEF Liberia Country Director, His Excellency Mr. Andy Brooks, to reinforce their collaborative commitment to child protection and ending violence against children across Liberia.
During the meeting, both institutions reaffirmed their shared dedication to ensuring that every child in the country grows up within a safe, nurturing, and protective environment. They discussed several focused areas for deepened cooperation, including advancing legal and policy reforms to strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws, building the capacity of legal practitioners and community leaders to respond effectively to child abuse and exploitation.
The interaction also considered expanding community awareness campaigns on the harmful impacts of violence, and ensuring survivors receive timely access to justice, psychosocial support, and protection services. Speaking on behalf of AFELL, Cllr. Philomena T. Williams emphasized the organization’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding Liberia’s children.
She stated that ending violence against women and children is not only a legal responsibility but a moral duty owed to the nation’s future. Justice Felicia Coleman highlighted the critical importance of institutional collaboration, noting that strong partnerships with UNICEF and other stakeholders are essential to building robust systems that protect and empower children.
As part of its advocacy, AFELL also accentuated its ongoing Positive Masculinity Campaign, which seeks to break the cycle of violence by promoting positive behavioral change, and reaffirmed its broader mission to transform society through sustained advocacy and access to justice.
In his remarks, His Excellency Mr. Andy Brooks reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting AFELL’s initiatives, emphasizing that by working together they can strengthen national frameworks, empower communities, and ensure all children in Liberia are protected, respected, and provided the opportunity to thrive.
The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), was established on February 10, 1994, during Liberia’s civil crisis when the collapse of legal systems left women and children particularly vulnerable to abuse and injustice. Born out of this urgent need for legal protection, AFELL has grown over three decades into Liberia’s preeminent organization championing gender equality and access to justice through its unique composition of female legal professionals and its dual approach to direct legal services coupled with systemic advocacy.
Registered as a non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political organization under Liberian law, AFELL operates through its two foundational pillars: the Legal Aid Clinic which provides crucial pro bono representation to indigent clients who cannot afford legal services, and the specialized Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) unit that leads the fight against gender-based violence through litigation, policy reform and survivor support programs.
The organization’s membership consists exclusively of Liberia’s female lawyers, judges, and legal practitioners who volunteer their expertise to advance AFELL’s mission of protecting women’s rights, children’s welfare, and equitable access to justice.
Throughout its history, AFELL has achieved transformative legal milestones including pioneering gender-sensitive reforms to inheritance and domestic violence laws, advocating successfully for increased women’s political representation, strengthening child protection mechanisms, and establishing critical legal precedents in prosecuting sexual violence cases.
