By Madam Edwina Crump Zackpah
A Prominent Liberian Woman
Chairperson
Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA)
Introduction
Unless we address the problem of gender disparity with a sense of immediate importance at the national level, our national development strategy will continue to elude us. I make this assertion on today, March 8, 2024, when Liberia officially participates in the International Community’s observance of International Women’s Day, adding to its historical significance. It is my belief that the global theme for this year could not be more appropriate than “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”. Similarly, the local theme that we have chosen for Liberia could not have been more appropriately phrased than “Empower Her, Empower All”.
Our Silence
Historically, significant number of Liberian women have refrained from expressing their thoughts on this occasion, despite the fact that the day is intended for us to highlight concerns, reflect upon, and promote strategies for our society to eradicate violence against women and promote gender equality.
I have chosen to break silence today by using these few lines to make a contribution to the public debate that is aimed at elevating voices that have not been heard and shedding light on the hardship of those who have shed tears that have gone unnoticed, while simultaneously promoting and encouraging those who have been successful in breaking through the glass ceiling.
I believe that it is a high risk to begin calling names of great Liberian women, who have made significant contribution to this global discourse, such as former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Vice President Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor, the current President Pro- Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Madam Nyonblee KarngaLawrence, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Her Honor, Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Youh. This is due to the fact that the list will not be exhaustive, taking into consideration the economic value of space in publication.
Reflection of the Day in 1908
With these and many more shining examples of successful women, you can nudge a friend to have mental picture of the significant difference between today and 1908, when terrible working conditions and exploitation pushed 15,000 women to take to the streets in New York protesting for shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights, which compelled the Socialist Party of America the following year to announce a National Women’s Day to honor the strikers, and in 1910 it went global: the Socialist International voted for the creation of a Women’s Day to advocate for suffrage. During the inaugural celebration of International Women’s Day, which took place in 1911, over one million individuals participated in rallies organized around Europe. As it was observed for most of the 20th century, International Women’s Day was acknowledged and celebrated by people at the grassroots level, a rallying point for social justice. It wasn’t until 1975 that the United Nations adopted International Women’s Day on March 8.
Present Reality
Despite the achievements we have made, when I reflect on 1911, when International Women’s Day was first marked to acknowledge and advance women’s empowerment and gender equality, it is astonishing that, even after 113 years, statistics continue to show significant disparities against women and girls.
UN Women Global has issued a warning that if current patterns persist, over 342 million women and girls may find themselves in dire poverty by 2030. Additionally, there is a concerning shortage of funding, with an astonishing yearly deficit of USD 360 billion in investments towards achieving gender equality. Regrettably, reports indicate that a mere 5% of government assistance is specifically allocated to addressing violence against women and girls, with less than 0.2% dedicated to its prevention.
This is why I support the position of the Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Mrs. Gbeme Horace-Kollie, who remarked in her statement of declaration of the day that “Although women’s equality has made positive gains, the world is still unequal, and there is still a need to focus and redirect our attention on areas that require action, such as women’s social, economic, and political participation and empowerment. Significantly, collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity is what makes International Women’s Day impactful”.
Her assertion confirms a growing body of research showing that enhancing women’s economic participation improves national economies, increases household productivity and living standards, enhances the wellbeing of children with positive long-term impacts, and can increase women’s agency and overall empowerment.
Seize the Moment
It is also imperative that we emphasize gender-responsive financing and raise public spending on vital services like digital education, innovation, and social protection for women in order to address these issues and guarantee that women’s demands and goals are taken into account.
Encouragement of young Liberian women and girls to take advantage of President Joseph Boakai’s initiative to provide digital skills training for 10,000 young people within the first six months of his administration is one realistic way we can guarantee women’s desire for equity and economic empowerment in Liberia.
The President’s pronouncement directly conforms to the Liberia Digital Transformation Project (LDTP), which aims at empowering Liberians through digital awareness, skills training and seed funding support for small tech businesses. Under the theme “Educate and empower through digitalization.”
The project intends to provide digital skills training for up to 10,000 youths, while undertaking nation-wide digital awareness programs using various mass media and digital platforms targeting over 250,000 Liberians. Another component of the Project will make available seed capital for 20 start-up tech businesses. At the end of the project, it’s expected that many young Liberians would have the appropriate knowledge, skills and funding resources to fully participate in Liberia’s burgeoning digital economy by leveraging digital technologies to empower themselves and contribute to the economic wellbeing of society.
I’m prepared to join the debate on allocating at least 30% of project beneficiaries solely to women and girls in order to demonstrate our commitment to helping more Liberian women and girls escape the grip of extreme poverty.
Conclusion
It is imperative that we make it our mission to advance the rights of women and girls in every sphere of life. We will only be able to accomplish this if we make investments in women and motivate people to comprehend and appreciate the importance of women’s inclusion. The promotion and protection of gender equality results in the creation of societies that are just, peaceful, and inclusive; it also ensures the prosperity and justice of economies; and it results in the creation of a healthy community for future generations.
-Happy International Women’s Day-
