Gender Minister Launches Awareness Campaign Against Violence
By James West

July 8, 2005 – (Liberian Observer) Vabah Gayflor says violence against women and children is one of the greatest problems facing Liberia today.

Gender and Development Minister Vabah Gayflor launched a year long national campaign against gender violence with a call on the transitional legislative assembly to speed up the enactment of the new rape bill.

Mrs. Gayflor said the violence against women and children is one of the greatest problems facing Liberia today.

She pointed out that gender violence is not limited to conflicts, noting that, similar cases of gender violence are being reported in several parts of the country.

"Looking ahead demands looking around," the Gender Minister said, adding, "we can not appear to be pre-occupied with peace making and yet at the same time forget to erect the fortress necessary to uphold the peace when it is achieved.

"This means that the very vices that encounter the road to peace, justice and social, economic progress must either be contained now or they would frustrate all the genuine efforts that we are exerting to rewrite the history of our nation," she noted.

She pointed out that violence against women is intolerable in the new Liberia and society will not tolerate this again.

Gender based violence has increased sharply in Liberia with reports of over-aged men sexually abusing under-aged girls and even babies.

In collaboration with international partners, the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia have drafted a bill and forwarded it to the legislature to ensure harsher penalties including death is enforced on those persons who commit rape.

Also speaking at the launch, the head of UNMIL Gender Section, Joanna Foster disclosed that UNMIL, UN agencies, local and international NGOs as well as religious and traditional leaders are involved in the campaign.

Ms. Foster said one of the slogans for the campaign is "My Body Is My Own," urging women and children that nobody violates their body.

"The daily reports of rapes from all over the country has over-shadowed the reconstruction activities that we're all involved in. It's excluding women and children from being a part of this reconstruction of Liberia," she said

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200507080602.html