A FEW DAYS ago, in broad daylight at Red Light, Paynesville—the busiest market in our country—a young woman was attacked by a mob. She was sexually harassed, humiliated, and forcibly undressed. Why? Because some people decided they did not like her clothing. That is not culture. That is not morality. That is cruelty. And it is a crime.
THE AMPLIFYING RIGHTS Network, a coalition of ten Liberian civil society groups, has rightly condemned this act. They called it a gross violation of human rights. They also made a point we cannot afford to ignore: no woman or girl deserves violence because of what she wears. The Liberia National Police has launched an investigation, and we welcome that. Arrests may bring justice for one victim.
BUT UNLESS WE change what is inside people’s minds, another young woman will be attacked tomorrow somewhere else—in another market, another community, another street. This is why we join the Amplifying Rights Network in issuing a clear call: Liberia must invest immediately in Comprehensive Sexuality Education, or CSE, in every school and every community. Let us be clear about what CSE is not. It is not about teaching children to be sexually active.
IT IS NOT about destroying our values or disrespecting our faith. That is a lie told by people who have never read a proper CSE curriculum. Here is what CSE actually does. It teaches young people about consent—that no one has the right to touch another person without permission. It teaches respect for bodily autonomy, meaning that what a person wears, how they walk, and how they live is their own decision, not a public vote.
IT TEACHES GENDER equality. A boy who learns CSE understands that women and girls are not property to be controlled. They are human beings with the same rights as men. That lesson alone would have stopped the mob at Red Light. CSE also teaches young people how to reject harmful social norms. Many Liberians grew up hearing that a woman “asked for it” because of her dress. That is a dangerous lie. CSE replaces that lie with facts, empathy, and shared responsibility.
THE RED LIGHT incident was not an accident. It happened because too many Liberians have never been taught the difference between personal disapproval and public violence. Disapproval is an opinion. Violence is a crime. CSE makes that difference clear. We also need CSE because shame-based morality has failed us. For decades, some religious and community leaders have taught only what not to do, without teaching why respect matters.
THE RESULT IS not virtue. The result is mobs who believe they are holy while committing assault. Investing in CSE is not expensive compared to the cost of doing nothing. Every attack, every court case, every survivor who needs years of healing—those are the real costs of ignorance. A few thousand dollars spent on teacher training and age-appropriate books could prevent hundreds of future victims.
THE GOVERNMENT AND stakeholders should act immediately. First, mandate CSE as a core subject in all public and private schools, starting from primary level. Second, train teachers, especially in rural counties where myths about women are strongest. Third, fund community dialogues where parents and religious leaders can learn alongside young people.
TO PARENTS WHO are afraid: talk to educators who actually practice CSE. You will find that it teaches your children to say no to abuse, yes to respect, and always to walk away from mob violence. To religious leaders: the Bible and Quran both command justice and mercy. There is no scripture that says “strip a woman in the marketplace.”
THE YOUNG WOMAN at Red Light will carry that day forever. But we can decide that she is the last. Let us honor her not with empty words, but with a national investment in Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Let us build a Liberia where no mob ever again feels entitled to touch a stranger’s body. That is the only morality worth fighting for.
