Monrovia – The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) has held a high-level engagement with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to discuss the recently released Gender-Inclusion Assessment by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and to explore concrete strategies for increasing women’s representation in public employment and decision-making.
The meeting, led by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gbemie Horace Kollie, focused on the CSA report’s findings, which highlight persistent gaps in women’s participation across Liberia’s civil service.
Participants agreed that the report presents an opportunity for collective action rather than a platform for assigning blame.
Commending the CSA for conducting the assessment, Minister Kollie described the findings as a call to action for both government and civil society actors.
“The assessment clearly shows that we have significant work to do,” Minister Kollie said. “When I saw the media reports, I immediately saw an opportunity for the Ministry, WONGOSOL, and other partners to work together to ensure that more women are appointed, employed, and retained across the public sector.”
The Minister emphasized the need for a comprehensive and inclusive national gender assessment to be jointly led by the Ministry and women-led civil society organizations.
She noted that such an exercise must extend beyond the civil service to include sectors where women remain critically underrepresented, including the security sector, infrastructure and engineering, health, agriculture and education.
Speaking on behalf of WONGOSOL, Executive Director Esther S. Davis Yango welcomed the proposal and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing gender inclusion as a national development priority.
“This is a timely and necessary initiative,” Madam Yango said.
“WONGOSOL stands ready to collaborate with the Ministry to ensure that gender inclusion in public employment is addressed as a core governance and development issue.”
During the engagement, WONGOSOL also sought updates on the Ministry’s ongoing programs.
In response, Minister Kollie highlighted the Women Empowerment Project, noting its positive impact in targeted counties by expanding economic opportunities and strengthening women’s leadership at the community level.
The Minister further underscored the Ministry’s continued support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including women experiencing domestic violence.
She cited ongoing efforts in psychosocial support, referral services and coordination with justice and protection actors, as well as strengthened collaboration with women-led organizations across all counties.
Both parties also reflected on the importance of strengthening the legal and policy framework for women’s rights.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to implementing and advocating for key instruments, including the Domestic Violence Act, the Children’s Law, reforms aligned with the National Gender Policy and the Women and Girls Protection Act, as well as Liberia’s obligations under regional and international frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol, UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.
The engagement concluded with a mutual commitment to sustained dialogue and joint action, including technical consultations with the CSA and other stakeholders to translate the findings of the gender-inclusion assessment into concrete reforms that expand opportunities for Liberian women across all sectors.
About WONGOSOL
The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is the national umbrella organization representing more than 250 women-led civil society organizations across Liberia’s 15 counties. WONGOSOL works to advance women’s rights, gender equality, inclusive governance, and peacebuilding through advocacy, coordination, and evidence-based engagement with national and international partners.
