– Calls for Enforceable Gender Quota
By Jerromie S. Walters
In a statement during her induction ceremony as Chairperson of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL), Margibi County District #3 Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh called for actionable reforms to advance gender equality in Liberia’s political landscape. Representative Attoh-Wreh, upon her induction on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the grounds of the Capitol Building, emphasized that symbolic commitments are no longer sufficient—structural change is imperative.
Liberia’s progress toward gender parity in governance remains sluggish, with women occupying fewer than 11% of legislative seats and even fewer leadership roles at the county level. While acknowledging improvements in executive appointments following the 2023 elections, Attoh-Wreh stressed that systemic obstacles—including cultural norms, unequal access to education, financial constraints, and outright discrimination—continue to hinder women’s political participation.
The WLCL has long championed legislative measures to accelerate women’s inclusion, most notably the proposed amendment to the Elections Law mandating a 30% quota for women on candidate lists. Though the bill passed both houses of the Legislature in 2022, it was never enacted. Attoh-Wreh declared that reviving and expanding this effort will be a top priority in the Caucus’s new term, with a push for binding quotas not only in elections but also in executive appointments.
WLCL’s Four-Pillar Roadmap:
Outlining the WLCL’s strategic vision, Attoh-Wreh detailed a comprehensive agenda centered on four key objectives: Gender-Sensitive Lawmaking, Strengthened Oversight, Expanded Political Participation, and Institutional Growth. For Gender-Sensitive Lawmaking– the Caucus will prioritize legislation that addresses the specific needs of women and girls, ensuring that policymaking reflects their lived experiences. Under Strengthened Oversight, the WLCL will monitor government programs to guarantee they deliver tangible benefits for women through gender-responsive budgeting and rigorous accountability measures.
For Expanded Political Participation, the Caucus intends to strategize Initiatives to mentor young women leaders, combat political violence, and make electoral processes more accessible will be intensified. Under Institutional Growth, the Caucus will enhance its operational capacity, improve public engagement, and secure sustainable funding to maintain its advocacy efforts. Attoh-Wreh underscored that legal reforms alone cannot dismantle the entrenched challenges facing women in politics.
Many female candidates struggle with campaign financing, face intimidation and harassment, and shoulder disproportionate caregiving responsibilities—factors that force countless women out of contention before they even begin. She called for holistic solutions, including childcare support, security protections, and financial mechanisms to level the playing field. The WLCL chair expressed gratitude to longstanding allies, including the European Union, Sweden, and Ireland, for their sustained financial and political backing.
She also announced a forthcoming initiative supported by the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Fund, which will focus on leadership development, economic empowerment, and cross-regional knowledge-sharing. Additionally, she acknowledged the critical role of UN Women, UNDP, and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) in strengthening governance institutions. Closing her address, Attoh-Wreh framed gender equality as a national imperative rather than a niche concern. “True democracy cannot exist when half the population is sidelined from decision-making,” she asserted.
Koon Vows to Address Funding Gaps:
In the Keynote address at the induction ceremony of the new corps of officers for the Women Legislative Caucus of Liberia, the Speaker of Liberia’s 55th Legislature, Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, vowed to prioritize women’s political participation by tackling systemic barriers, including the lack of campaign resources that hinder female candidates.
Speaker Koon emphasized the urgent need for legislative reforms to ensure greater gender equality in elected offices. “Women lack resources to foster their agenda during campaign. I can promise you as Speaker of the 55th Legislature, we will do our utmost best with my fellow colleagues to create a section… specifically to promote women’s activities in Liberia,” he vowed.
The Speaker announced plans to lead a “He-for-She” campaign, mobilizing male lawmakers to champion gender equality in legislation. He urged the newly inducted Women’s Caucus leadership to prioritize reintroducing the revised election law with strong gender-sensitive provisions. “We cannot progress as a nation while leaving behind nearly 50% of our population,” Koon asserted. “By the next induction, I hope to celebrate more women in elected positions.”
Speaker Koon highlighted alarming statistics showing a steady decline in women’s legislative representation since 2006. Following the 2023 elections, only 10.7% of lawmakers are women—just eight (8) out of 73 in the House of Representatives and three (3) out of 30 in the Senate. He attributed this disparity to the repeated failure to pass legally binding gender quotas.
Despite efforts in 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022, proposed laws mandating a 30% quota for women in party leadership and candidate listings faced resistance, particularly in the Senate. “The recently revised election bill, which I introduced in 2022, sought to address this gap,” Koon explained. “While the House passed it with amendments, the Senate opposed key provisions, citing constitutional concerns. We must revisit this issue with renewed determination.”
Hon. Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh, Chairperson of the Women Legislative Caucus, welcomed the Speaker’s pledge, stressing the need for concrete actions beyond rhetoric.
VP Koung Calls for Census-Based Reforms:
Also in a special statement at the induction ceremony, Liberia’s Vice President, Jeremiah Koung, urged legislative leaders to review the latest census data and consider creating additional seats to enhance women’s political participation, particularly in urban areas where they have better chances of winning. VP Koung emphasized the need for structural reforms to address the underrepresentation of women in governance.
Koung: “There’s a need to increase women’s representation. I want to call on the Speaker and the Pro Tempore that the last census result is still before you. And there’s a need to look at that census and see whether we can create additional seats. If it is possible let go back precedent. In 2011, the census in 2008 results gave few counties one one seat based on their population.”
The Vice President referenced Liberia’s 2011 adjustments, where some counties gained extra legislative seats based on 2008 census data. He suggested a similar approach could be applied to strategically increase women’s representation. The reason why you want to do that because there’s advantage of women winning in mostly urban areas. Some areas that are still very traditional sometimes it become difficult. So based on what you do with that census result, we can start to create seats looking at gender. Especially women, place that they can win easily.“
VP Koung hailed women as indispensable leaders, declaring: “Women in politics cannot be overemphasized. Without women, there would be no world today. Women are the owners of this world—it is because of them that we exist.” He congratulated the new WLCL leadership on behalf of President Joseph Boakai and pledged his full support to the Caucus, vowing to increase women’s political participation by 2029.
The 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝗰𝘂𝘀:
The Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL) officials and members include: HON, PRESCILLA ABRAMS-COOPER, Vice Chairperson/National Affairs/WLCL, Representative District #5 Montserrado County, HON. Julie Fatorma Wiah, Financial Secretary/WLCL, Representative District 2 Lofa County, HON. GBESSSIE SONI-FEIKA, Treasure, Representative, District #3 Grand Cape Mount, HON, BOTOE KANNEH Member/WLCL, Senator/Gbarpolu County, and HON RUGIE YATU BARRY, Vice Chairperson, International Affairs/WLCL, Representative, District #1 Monserrado County.
Others are HON. BINTU MASSALAY Secretary/WLCL, Representative, District #1, Grand Cape Mount County, HON. NYONBLEE KARNGA LAWRENCE, Advisor, Senator Grand Bassa County, President Pro-Temp-ore/Liberian Senate, HON, MẠRIE JOHNSON, Member WLCL, Representative District #2, Grand Gedeh County, and HON, MOIMA BRIGGS-MENSAH, Member WLCL Representative District #6, Bong County
The new officials of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL) will steer the affairs of the Caucus for the next three years. Margibi County Electoral District #3, Representative, Hon. Ellen Attoh-Wreh succeeds Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, who formally turned over the gavel of authority to the new chairperson on Tuesday.
The event on Tuesday was also graced by several members of the 55th Legislature, Ms. Comfort Lamptey, Country Representative of UN Women Liberia, and several representatives of women-focused organizations and civil society groups.
Formed in 2006 by female lawmakers of the 52nd National Legislature, the WLCL aims to define and promote a unified agenda for women across political, religious, and ethnic divides. It seeks to amplify the voices of Liberian women on critical national issues, champion gender-sensitive legislation, and advocate for women’s empowerment and participation in all sectors of society.
