In an attempt to deal with demanding situations confronting younger girls and ladies - the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and with assist from companions is rolling out a 3-day (July 27-29, 2022) National Young Women and Girls Conference in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County.
The convention is a every year software designed via way of means of the Ministry and its companions to offer younger girls and ladies the platform to collect and talk troubles affecting them of their respective groups and together, increase concrete movement plans to deal with those troubles.
This year, the convention is tagged, In Light of the Bicentennial “Elevating the Minds and Sights of Young Women and Girls for a Brighter Future”.
Education and Leadership Development, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and Cultural and Traditional Practices are the thematic regions beneathneath dialogue via way of means of the ladies.
Historically, In 2016 the Liberian Girls in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and National Stakeholders advanced an implementation method that highlights interventions to be applied for Liberian ladies. Key amongst those interventions is the “National Young Women and Girls Conference” which helps the Implementation of the Manifesto for the improvement and empowerment of the Liberian Girl Child and contributes to the National Framework for Girls’ empowerment.
Additionally, the National Young Women and Girls Conference is an offspring of the 2011 United Nations General Assembly followed decision 66/a hundred and seventy putting forward October 11, an International Day of the Girl Child. The UN set the day apart to champion ladies’ rights troubles, pick out demanding situations encountered via way of means of adolescent ladies and younger girls internationally and increase strategies, initiatives and applications that address those troubles.
Speaking on the indoor establishing consultation on Thursday, July 28, 2022, Deputy Gender Minister Alice Johnson Howard emphasised that this year’s occasion goals are to: Elevate the minds and points of interest of 2 hundred younger girls, Boys and ladies among a while 10-24 years from throughout the 15 counties in Liberia via way of means of growing their ability as rising change-makers of their respective groups; Increase information of nearby groups Adolescence thru media telecellsmartphone in talk-display and network outreach and focus activities; instructing the general public approximately the dangerous consequences of violence towards girls and ladies and the way groups can play a pivotal position in tackling or mitigating those menaces.
She careworn that the convention will maintain a panel dialogue with exceptional stakeholders on troubles affecting younger girls, ladies and boys, to interrupt not unusualplace stereotypes and decorate lady participation in dialogue and still have adult males serving as advocates and assist ladies of their quest.
Minister Howard advised contributors that the convention constructed from younger girls, boys and ladies from throughout Liberia such as at-threat adolescent ladies and boys, university students, excessive college students, women which can be sign up in TVETs, out-of-college ladies, the bodily challenged, ladies from rural and concrete groups, amongst others.
She pleaded with the ladies to take most gain of the convention for the betterment of society.
The Deputy Gender Minister lauded UNICEF, UFDUM, Medica-Liberia, Plan International, Brac, ActionAid, Samaritan's Purse, and DCI-Liberia for the assist rendered the Ministry.
In a unique assertion, Madam Ina Williams Christensen, National Child Protection Officer, UNICEF-Liberia brought a written assertion on behalf of UNICEF Country Representative Laila O. Gad.
According to the assertion, it's miles no mystery that children, young people and younger girls keep to stand more than one demanding situations globally, domestically and nationally. The assertion quoted Liberia’s Demographic Health Survey (2019-2020) file which asserts that 60% of girls have ever skilled bodily violence for the reason that age 15. "Despite a mild discount of 1%, teenage being pregnant fee stands at 30% and continues to be of subject in Liberia whilst get entry to to sexual and reproductive fitness facts and offerings is low. Girls in particular, are tormented by dangerous conventional practices, specially early marriage and lady genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)," the file noted.
"There also are inequitable gender norms that create boundaries to ladies' social and monetary development.The above inform us the quantity to which we should use our collective efforts such as adolescent ladies and younger girls themselves strategically to create pathways thru which ladies and younger girls can thrive, live on and stay their complete potential. One manner to do that is to create the allowing surroundings and structures in which younger humans may be ready with the information, skills, and ability to arise for his or her rights and guard themselves towards the vices going through them," the Country Rep assertion expressed.
As brought, Madam Gad thanked the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Adolescent Girls Working Group, sister UN Agencies and different improvement companions for organizing the National Young Women and Girls Conference.
In closing, the UNICEF Boss said that UNICEF appears ahead to the final results of the occasion and pledged its commitments to paintings with the Government of Liberia and Partners for the development and empowerment of children, young people and girls in Liberia.