Liberia - ActionAid Liberia, the global justice federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication, is calling for the full implementation of the eradication of the female genital mutilation against women and girls across the country, terming the practise as evil and demonic, and it should no longer be accepted in the society.
Making the disclosure at a day-long MAPUTO protocol dialogue in Monrovia, ActionAid Liberia Country Director Elizabeth Gbah Johnson said that there is a need for the full eradication of the female genital mutilation across the country in order to enable girls maintain their true feeling and potential.
ActionAid Liberia, along with its implementing partners, converged at a local hotel to brainstorm on the full MAPUTO protocol aimed at securing comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights in Liberia.
The goal of the project is to ensure that women, youth and other marginalized groups can thrive in a healthy, safe, equitable and inclusive community in the country.
The MAPUTO protocol is an African charter protocol on Human and people’s rights, the right of women in Africa and international human rights instrument established by the African Union that went into effect in 2005, to which Liberia is a signatory.
The programme was graced by several women groupings, including Civil Society Organisation and the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Alice Johnson Howard.
Madam Howard urged the Government to update the health system by making available qualified medical workers, electricity and ambulance to all healthcare centres in the country, adding that, by doing so, Liberia will achieve a lot in fighting sicknesses here.
Speaking on Liberia’s position on the MAPUTO protocol, she said Liberia is a signatory to the MAPUTO declaration, and pregnant women are now allowed to attend school in Liberia from now onward.
Madam Howard indicated that it’s significant to remove legal, regulatory, and barriers limiting access to sexual reproductive health (SRH) community programs and services.
“Develop and implement legal and policy framework that prevents child marriage, and implement policies strategy and plan to reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortion by developing legal framework strategic with a programme that deals with SGBV,” she urged.
“We will make sure that this is taught to all people particularly, children, adolescents and youth both in and out of school with age-appropriate and culturally sensitive,’’ Madam Howard continued.
The New Dawn