LIBERIA: Ellen Pursues 30 % Women Participation in Politics

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has expressed the hope that the ongoing ECOWAS Delocalized Parliament Meeting in Monrovia will give courage to the Liberian National Legislature to give serious consideration to the bill seeking 30 percent women participation in political representation.

President Sirleaf made the statement on Tuesday, July 06, 2010, when she officially opened the Delocalized Parliament Joint Committee on Health, Social Services, Gender, Labor, Employment and Social Welfare on Capitol in Monrovia. The meeting is being held under the theme: “Development and Promotion of Quota in the Representation of Women in Politics within ECOWAS at the Joint Chambers of the National Legislature”.

The President asserted that the fact that the meeting was being held in Monrovia at this time was indicative of the recognition of Liberia's role in the sub-region. She told ECOWAS Parliamentarians that she expressed Liberia's quest for higher leadership role in ECOWAS at the just ended meeting, adding: “We have paid all our arrears to the body.”

President Sirleaf then urged Liberian Lawmakers to let the deliberations help them give support to the bill before them for women's greater participation in the society.

Speaking earlier, the Protocol Officer of the ECOWAS Parliament, Ezekiel Fwangder, praised Madam Sirleaf for setting the precedence as the first woman President on the continent of Africa. She noted that Liberia, as a role model, should be replicated to go down the line, adding: “Liberia has a woman as President and the Vice President a man; and in the parliament, let it be vice-visa. We are here to learn the lessons Liberians have learned over the years and even learn from their mistakes. God created human beings to complement one another to move the society forward because we cannot run the society on one leg just as a man or woman cannot run better on one leg” she argued.

The ECOWAS Protocol officer went on to say that women have the talent, vision, ideas, innovation and could transform governments within the region and therefore they should not be left behind.

For his part, Senate President Pro-tempore Cletus Wortorson said they were happy to have the meeting held on Liberia soil on gender quota in democratic governance. He asserted that from the beginning of Liberian history, women have played distinctive role in the country, referring to such ladies as Susana Lewis, Matilda Newport, Angie Brooks and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, among others. He said they shall endeavor to urge their people to change their behavioral pattern for participation of women in governance.

In about the same tone, House Speaker Alex Tyler noted that the idea of women's participation in politics and accession to decision making positions was not new to Liberia.

Speaker Tyler recounted the era of the late President William V.S. Tubman in excess of sixty years ago when he (Tubman) was denied by the True Whig Party Convention that nominated him for the presidency to make women suffrage a part of the platform. But President Tubman told the legislature that it was iniquitous and immoral to deprive some citizens because of sex. So he succeeded to have women suffrage legislated.

Speaker Tyler applauded women's unwavering attempts in pressing for legal equality with men in education, employment and government. He noted women representation in politics and decision making today in Liberia as unprecedented, adding “we have in excess of 30% female in cabinet positions and heads of public and autonomous agencies, 14% in the legislature and 40% on the Supreme Court Bench.”

The ECOWAS Parliament meeting continues until July 10, 2010 at the Capitol Building.