A young woman of Carey Street, Monrovia, has accused her fiancé of persistent abuse and threats, alleging that both the police and the Ministry of Gender turned a blind eye to her cries for help.
Ms. Edina Demah Wilson told Women Voices Newspaper that her nightmare began when her fiancé objected to her decision to work and seek professional growth outside the home. According to her, he strongly insisted that a woman preparing for marriage had no business being employed, but should rather “stay home and follow his rules.”
Wilson said the disagreements quickly escalated into constant mistreatment, verbal abuse, and threats against her life. “From the very day I told him about my work, he began to threaten me,” she explained. “He told me I was disrespecting him as the head of the house and that I would pay the price for going against his wishes.”
Fearing for her safety, she said she reported the matter to the police in Monrovia and also sought the intervention of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. But despite her repeated complaints, she claims nothing was done to protect her.
“I went to the police. I went to Gender. I explained everything, but no one came to my rescue,” Wilson lamented. “I felt abandoned, as if my life did not matter.”
Left without protection, she said she was forced to turn to the press to make her ordeal public. Her story was later published in Women Voices Newspaper, an outlet known for highlighting cases of gender-based violence in Liberia. Wilson said she decided to speak out because she feared for her life, adding that if anything were to happen to her, the world should know where the threats were coming from.
Liberia continues to struggle with high levels of gender-based violence, with official reports indicating that more than 60 percent of women in the country suffer abuse at some point in their lives. While the government has passed laws to address the crisis, critics argue that enforcement remains weak, leaving survivors vulnerable and perpetrators unpunished.
Wilson’s testimony adds to the growing outcry against domestic violence and the culture of silence that surrounds it. “No woman should be treated like property,” she told reporters. “I only wanted to live in peace, to work, and to build my future. Instead, I was threatened and abandoned.”
Her account stands as yet another reminder of the urgent need for stronger action from law enforcement, government institutions, and community leaders to protect women and hold abusers accountable.
