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WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY RESOURCES : LIBERIA
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UNIFEM WOMEN, WAR PEACE WEB PORTAL: LIBERIA

Civil Society and NGO Reports, Papers and Statements

ISIS-Women's international Cross-Cultural Exchange (ISIS-WICCE) Medical Intervention Puts Smiles on Women's Faces
April through July 2009

We are glad to share with you a brief about the Short Term Medical Intervention that Isis-WICCE carried out for the women in the two counties of Maryland and Grand Kru in Liberia. This was between April and July 2009, with the support of the MDG3 Fund.

To download a copy of the full report, please click HERE

Lessons From Liberia: Reintegrating Women in Post-Conflict Liberia
Amnesty International, March 2009

Thirty to forty percent (25,000-30,000) of all fighting forces during Liberia’s 14 years of conflict were women and girls. The majority were forced to participate, particularly during the first conflict from 1989 to 1997. In the second conflict however from 1999 to 2003, more women reportedly ‘volunteered’ to join the fighting forces, to protect themselves from sexual violence, to avenge the death of family members, under peer pressure, for material gain, and for survival.

Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed, and recognising the significant numbers of women and children involved, the UN Security Council determined in 2003 that the new Disarmament Demobilization Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) process in Liberia must give particular attention to their special needs. This approach is in line with the Security Council’s landmark resolution 1325 (2000), on Women Peace and Security.

To read the paper, please click HERE.

Peace With Sexual Violence is Still War: Peacekeepers Must Protect Women
AIDS-Free World, May 2008
Stephen Lewis, the co-Director of AIDS-Free World, delivered remarks on sexual violence at the May, 2008 Wilton Park Conference: Women targeted or affected by armed conflict: What role for military peacekeepers? He asserted that peacekeepers and force commanders alike have to take sexual violence much more seriously, citing the cases of Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

To read the full speech, please click HERE

Liberia: A Flawed Process Discriminates against Women and Girls
Amnesty International, April 2008
Liberia experienced conflict between 1989 and 1997 and again between 1999 and 2003. Estimates of women and girls associated with the fighting forces were in the range of 30-40 per cent of all fighting forces or approximately 25,000-30,000 of all the fighting forces. The consequences of the violence and human rights abuses perpetrated against women and girls during the conflict are devastating. Many continue to suffer both physically and mentally from the harsh and inhumane treatment they endured during the war. In September 2007 Amnesty International researchers visited the capital Monrovia and three districts in Lofa County including Voinjama, Kolahun, and Foya to speak to women and girls associated with the fighting forces and some of whom had participated in formal DDRR.

Security Sector Reform in Liberia: Domestic Considerations and the Way Forward
USIPeace Briefing, April 2007
Getting In: Mediators' Entry into the Settlement of African Conflicts Examines successful mediation in a half-dozen violent conflicts across the African continent including Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi, and more.

Human Rights Report Liberia
US State Department, March 8, 2006
The National Transitional Goverment of Liberia generally respected the human rights of its citizens, and the government passed legislation during the year to strengthen human rights; however, problems persisted in some areas. Poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy were widespread, and the country's infrastructure was severely damaged as a result of the war. The educational system barely functioned, and the country had no public electricity, potable water, sewer system, or postal service. The following human rights problems were reported: ritualistic killings and deaths from mob violence, police abuse, harassment, and intimidation, harsh prison conditions, arbitrary arrest and detention, lengthy pretrial detention, denial of due process and fair public trial, incidents of trial-by-ordeal. official corruption and impunity, violence and discrimination against women, especially rape, female genital mutilation (FGM), neglect and abuse of children, trafficking in persons, societal ethnic discrimination, child labor.

Liberia elects Africa's first woman President - What Does this Mean for Women?
AWID, Resource Net Friday File, Issue 258, 20 January 2006
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's elected President, was sworn into office on January 16. AWID explores some of the implications for Liberia - after a
protracted, violent civil war - and for the women of Africa, who are celebrating their first woman head of state.

Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict
Save the Children, 28 April 2005
Save the Children is today calling on world leaders to better protect the large numbers of vulnerable and innocent girls whose lives are destroyed every year by conflict, with the launch a new report ‘"Forgotten Casualties of War: Girls in Armed Conflict. The report identifies a ‘"hidden army" of girls, some as young as eight, who are abducted against their will to live life in the army. The roles of the girls vary from being actual soldiers through to serving as porters, cleaners and cooks. Almost all are forced to serve as sex slaves or ‘"wives".

Women Building Peace Through Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
Leymah Gbowee, WIPNET (Liberia), New York, 9 March 2005
The process of disarming the over 35,000 combatants that participated in the 14 years civil war was expected to commence on December 7, 2003. The process was being led by the UN Mission in Liberia, preparatory meetings and consultation had been held in and outside for Liberia for the successful implementation of the process. “Experts” on the process of DDRR from Kosvo and Sierra Leone were being imported into Liberia. Proposals from women’s groups and organizations to the newly established National Commission on DDRR and the mission were rejected as we were not “Experts” in the field of DDRR and that the process was highly militarized. In essence “women your protest and other form of non violent protest actions were great but we think its time to go back home and take care of the kids”.

United Nations Mission in Liberia Press Release on the Gender Unit's open Forum
UNMIL, Monrovia (Liberia), March 18, 2004
Brief summary of the Forum's conclusions.Description of the Gender Unit’s responsibilities to assist women to maintain their rights and the importance of Security Council Resolution 1325. Representatives from the various organizations explained their areas of thematic focus such as peace advocacy, micro-credit, skills-training, trauma-healing, advocacy on sexual and gender-based violence, legal advice and representation, leadership programs, and research and activities relating to the reintegration of female ex-combatants. The representatives highlighted their need for additional funding, education about women’s human rights and relevant international instruments, and participation in DDR activities.

MARWOPNET Liberia Country Report
Mano River Women's Peace Network
Report details the peace building efforts made from 2001 to 2003. MARWOPNET reports on the efforts made by Heads of State, the UN and local non goveremental organizations in restoring peace in Liberia and involving women's groups in peace keeping and reconstruction process.

Liberia: Greater Protection Required for Civilians Still at Risk
Human Rights Watch, Briefing Paper, 9 September 2003
This information is based on interviews conducted by a Human Rights Watch researcher in Liberia from August 23 - September 9, 2003. The interviews were conducted in Monrovia and Buchanan with displaced persons, child soldiers, rape victims, and humanitarian and human rights workers, among others.

Liberian Stories: A Poplation Caught in a Cycle of Violence and Displacement
Médecins Sans Frontières, Monrovia / Brussels, July 2003
Random violence, looting, rape, forced recruitment, family separation and general chaos have been part of the daily life of many Liberians for more than a decade. In addition to countless civilian deaths, the ongoing conflict in Liberia is causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee throughout the region. It is estimated that, by June 2003, 100.000 Liberians were displaced within their country whilst 150.000 had sought protection in neighbouring Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.Rebel and government attacks are frequently accompanied by sexual violence. Women and girls are separated from their families and forced to stay with the fighters. Although it is hard for people to openly talk about such issues, even though it is sometimes not explicitly stated, it is strongly implied by interviewees that rape and sexual assault is commonplace.

The Golden Tulip Declaration of Liberian Women Attending the Peace Talks in Accra
Representatives of the various Liberian women's organizations, Accra, Ghana, 15 March 2003
We, the representatives of the various Liberian Women’s Organizations at the Accra Peace Talks on Liberia held a one-day Strategic Planning Meeting under the Chairmanship of Her Excellency Madame Ruth Sando Perry on Friday 15th Day of August A.D. 2003 at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra to analyse lessons learnt at the Accra Peace Talks from 4 June 2003 to present and to strategize on the inclusion of women within all existing and proposed institutions including all components of the current and in-coming Liberian Government (Executive, Legislative and Judiciary) and within all structures to lead the post conflict peace-building process.

MARWOPNET Signs on Liberia Peace Agreement in Akosombo
Mano River Women's Peace network, Liberia Chapter, Press Release, Geneva, 28 August 2003

Liberia: Anguish in a Divided Land
Physicians for Human Rights, May 1991
Violence against women and girls, trauma experienced by children during war, and an emerging AIDS epidemic are reported in this study from a trip to Liberia in May 1992. The findings and recommendations are based upon individual interviews with Liberian women's groups, physicians, nurses, midwives, and female patients in maternity and out-patient clinics.

UN Documents

Liberian Women Crucial in Reconstruction of Liberia
UNDP-Liberia and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), 26 November 2004
In a letter of understanding, UNDP-Liberia and UNIFEM commied to collaborate in ensuring that gender is mainstreamed in all UNDP programmes. The goal is to involve the Liberian women as major actors in the reconstruction of Liberia. The collaboration between the two UN-organizations will cover governance, community-based reintegration and recovery (CBR), rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants, human rights, and HIV/AIDS programmes.

Faces: Women as Partners in Peace and Security: AIDS Fighter in Liberia
UN Department of Public Information and UN Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), October 2004

Rebuilding of Liberia Must Involve Full Participation of Women
UNIFEM, Press Release, 10 May 2004

UN Security Council Resolution: The situation in Liberia
S/RES/1509, 19 September 2003

Government Statements and Reports

Statement to the Hague Forum
Liberian Head of Delegation, International Conference on Population and Development +5 (Hague Forum), 8-12 February 1999

Books, Journals and Articles

Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace (Film)
Amnesty International, July 23, 2008
Following the periods of conflict in Liberia, during which women made up over 30% of the fighting force, a disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration process began. The process aimed to ensure women’s participation and address their special needs. In reality, the programme failed meet the needs of a large number of women and girls. Thousands of women and girls didn’t participate in the process for reasons such as misinformation about the process, and manipulation by commanders.

To view the video, please click HERE

Peace With Sexual Violence is Still War!
Stephen Lewis, June 5, 2008
It isn’t enough to stop the shooting when the raping continues apace. The only worthwhile armistice restores peace for the entire population, male and female. There can be no satisfaction in claiming a truce or a peace treaty which is soaked in the carnage of the women of the land. If all the peacekeepers were women, and the men of a country were under pervasive sexual assault, do you think the women would simply observe the carnage? In the words of the Deputy UN Envoy for the Rule of Law in Liberia when she said, as recently as May 20th: “We cannot expect the future leaders of Liberia, the doctors, nurses, and engineers of Liberia to be brought up amongst men who are rapists and women who are angry, degraded, frightened, depressed, embarrassed and confused.”

To read the article, please click here

Iron Ladies of Liberia (Documentary)
"Follow the Leader: A Film Portrait of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf", I.M.O.W., April 21, 2008
On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf took the oath of office as Africa's first elected female head of state. A team of filmmakers followed her through her first year in office and the documentary Iron Ladies of Liberia is the result. President Sirleaf welcomes the nickname "Iron Lady," and the filmmakers also bestowed the title on the many other women she's appointed to leadership positions.

To view the video, read the article and interview with director E. Johnson-Sirleaf, please click HERE

MARWOPNET Awarded 2003 United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), Press Release, Geneva, 3 December 2003

War Prevention Works
Dylan Matthews. Oxford Research Group. Liberian Women's Initiative: Liberia Women's pressure group helps bring about disarmament before elections, pps 44-45. 2001

What Women Do in Wartime: Gender and Conflict in Africa
Meredith Turshen and Clotilde Twagiramariya (Eds.). Zed Books, 1998
This is the first book to describe and analyze the experience of women in African civil wars. A mixture of reportage, testimony and scholarship, the book includes contributions from women in Chad, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Sudan. The political context of these conflicts is outlined in an introduction to each chapter. The book profiles women's responses to war, as combatants as well as victims, and describes the groups women organize in the aftermath.

To order this book, please contact Zed Books, 7 Cynthia Street, London UK, N19JF or + 44 207 837 4014