Achieving MDG 3 on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women: Lessons from Liberia
Bunmi Dipo-Salami
Principal Partner/CEO
LaRen Consulting
Gender equality is very central to sustainable development, and very critical to the new paradigm on inclusive and sustainable development on the long and medium-term. In the immediate term, I think it will help mitigate the effects of the current economic crisis that is being experienced all around the world.
Renowned development economists have often said that the marginalisation of women which has resulted in gender inequality around the world is ‘bad economics’ and I believe them. Studies have shown that countries with greater gender equality tend to have lower poverty rate. I guess this is because from experience, women spread wealth far beyond themselves.
As it has been rightly noted by development practitioners, Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 which focuses on the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment is a cross-cutting goal. Despite the realisation that success in the achievement of this goal leads to progress in the attainment of other MDGs, only a few countries in the world have made commendable progress on gender equality and justice in all areas of life. What we have at the moment, from available evidence is that even in Scandinavian countries that are making tremendous advancement in the area of women’s political participation, a lot of work is still required to attain gender parity in its entirety.
It is heart-warming therefore that Liberia, the tiny West-African country emerging from many years of civil war which was considered as one of the deadliest in the region, is one of the few success stories that we have around the world. This is not only because the people elected the first female president in Africa, but because the nation is taking on so much within the limits of available resources, to ensure that everyone has equal rights and opportunities.
The recently organised International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, convened by the Presidents of Liberia and Finland in Monrovia – two female Presidents - was a truly historic event, and a testimony to the saying that ‘when women lead, change follows’! This 2-day programme which was localised for another two days to maximise the benefits to the Liberian society, brought together the most powerful women of the world, a few of our male allies (gender equality champions) as well as young people to Monrovia. On the roll call were presidents, former presidents, prime ministers, governors - generals, market women, vice presidents, teachers, cabinet ministers, women’s human rights advocates, among others. President Kagame of Rwanda and President Wade of Senegal were presented with awards in recognition of their efforts to promote gender equality in their countries. It was my first time of seeing world leaders mingling with those they are leading under a ‘palaver hut’ (bamboo shed), and referring to them as ‘dear friends’! That, I think, is what happens when we trust and elect women into such high positions, knowing fully well that they will look out for the interests of all. We surely need to do more of that in Africa.
One central issue around which the theme of the colloquium was organised was MDG 3 and every session was linked to issues related to the actualisation of the Goal 3 to ensure gender justice in the world. This was reflected at the international colloquium because every session was aimed at just that.
Every minute that I spent at the International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security were moments of reflection for me. For the first time in my life I saw the political will and sincerity of purpose of government and the good will of the people rolled into one. As I moved from one room to the other, and from one activity to the next, making sure that the event was effectively recorded, I saw hope for a new future and a new order for women and men. In addition to that, I observed the very high expectation from Liberia to chart the path to a new dawn towards the actualisation of gender equality and inclusion. This to my mind is an immense responsibility on the shoulders of the government and of course the people of Liberia, as well as those of other African countries. Other stakeholders that will bear the burden because of their presence in the country and because of their pledge of commitment to the restoration of peace and growth of Liberia include all UN agencies, AU and ECOWAS organs, donor organisations, and other development partners.
Some of the strategies that have worked in achieving MDG 3, as discussed by participants at the colloquium, based on the experiences from around the world include investing in the education of the girl-child through the provision of scholarships, recruitment of female teachers, safe environment for girls; improving women’s participation in politics with the adoption of special measures such as constitutional reform; education and sensitization; a variety of quota systems (fast or incremental track), as well as innovative electoral systems. Other effective mechanisms are: supportive policy and institutional environment for women’s economic empowerment, such as the establishment of development banks that focus on small and medium scale enterprises, as well as micro-credit schemes; integration of all sexual and reproductive health and rights components; alliances and alliance building; revision of curriculum from a gender-sensitive perspective; development of peer support and mentoring programmes, among others. It is my fervent hope that Nigeria will learn from all the good practices.
I must confess that I was overwhelmed when I read ‘Let justice be done to all’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. To people who are visiting Liberia for the first time, it would seem that it has always been there, but for me, it is a giant stride. The first time I visited in 2004, I saw ‘let justice be done to all men’, on that wall. As a feminist, I raised questions bordering on exclusion and my friends in different spheres of Liberian life assured me that it will be taken care of in due course. And it has been taken care of! That for me is MDG 3 in progress!
Developing a national action plan and pioneering the call to action on UN SCR 1325 for Liberia, just like her Finnish counterpart is also commendable and I hope that other countries present will emulate this.
To consolidate the gains made so far however, and address the challenges identified since Ma Ellen (that is what Liberians fondly call their president) took the reins, I could not help but reflect upon the following questions: What more must the country do? What does Liberia need to do what she must do? Who does she need to do what she must do? Are the other countries of Africa, especially my own Nigeria taking notes from this rebuilding exercise? I honestly think that somebody somewhere must tell somebody that matters, especially in this era of ‘re-branding’ that it is not just enough to do peace keeping in times of war and crisis; it is not too much for the ‘giant super powers’ of Africa to also learn a lesson from the ‘ants’ in instances like this.
The forgoing are rhetorical questions which I have tried to provide answers to on my own and in response, I found that although so many interrelated activities were being undertaken to ensure gender justice and gender equality in Liberia, there are also concrete moves to, also simultaneously, establish new partnerships, and strengthen those alliances that work.
In the area of what the country needs to do, I could see that by beginning to learn to trust one another and their intentions again, the wounds of the past are healing. Since there is political will already, the other essential ingredients such as determination, perseverance, friendship, solidarity, mutual respect, among other things were what I saw being evoked by the leadership of the country.
Liberia is a country that is making use of a need for one another! Admittedly, she still needs more relevant government agencies, INGOs, NGOs, women’s groups, UN, AU, ECOWAS, donors and so on, but the nation is relying on in-house resources. Furthermore, there is a massive search for men who believe in gender justice so that the nation can get to its ordained destination with men and women walking side by side for a better tomorrow that future generations would be proud of. I dare say that so far, the output has been heart warming.
One suggestion that I would proffer is that women who have been and those who presently are in national, regional or traditional leadership positions should work together more than ever before. Those who have been there will provide support, and those who are there now are encouraged to share their challenges and frustrations, as well as their successes with them. This is so different from what I am used to in Nigeria. In my own country, regarded as the big heart of Africa, the political landscape is a competition or scramble for the national cake in terms of funds and positions. Consequently, it is difficult for women to present a common front to tackle the monster known as gender discrimination in our midst.
During my two-week stay in Liberia, I saw a yearning to foster horizontal relationships, where everybody feels a part of the process – young people, youngish ones, older people, oldish Liberians - without the sense of inferiority or superiority. Indeed, for Nigeria to make progress on MDG 3, I believe there must be inter-generational sharing where, like Liberia, we set aside our differences, initiate a healing process from poor governance and allow it to take firm root, trust one another and work together for the common good.
Liberians are not insisting that there is really a blueprint for working together. However, I could deduce that the following steps were informing their quest for progress in developing partnerships for inclusive and sustainable development, especially as they strategised to ensure the implementation of the Liberia National Plan of Action for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325:
Identifying potential for partnership; examining the barriers to transformative partnership using case studies from the country; assessing relevant stakeholders and their roles in the process; developing terms of reference for different stakeholders; taking action! and; re-strategising if and when necessary
I know that we are wired differently, but we must re-programme ourselves to put the common good first and foremost in our hearts and in our deeds. I also believe that to make a difference, we need to be different. There are, as always, a variety of ways of doing things and I am sure that when we explore transformative partnership further, Liberia will not only be the model in Africa, the whole world will always be on the lookout for directions from Liberia. In the same vein, if Nigeria pays attention, and our rulers mend their ways, who knows, the nation could also be the toast o the world.
Liberia is surely the good practice for the actualisation of MDG 3 in Africa.
Bunmi Dipo-Salami
Principal Partner/CEO
LaRen Consulting
Gender equality is very central to sustainable development, and very critical to the new paradigm on inclusive and sustainable development on the long and medium-term. In the immediate term, I think it will help mitigate the effects of the current economic crisis that is being experienced all around the world.
Renowned development economists have often said that the marginalisation of women which has resulted in gender inequality around the world is ‘bad economics’ and I believe them. Studies have shown that countries with greater gender equality tend to have lower poverty rate. I guess this is because from experience, women spread wealth far beyond themselves.
As it has been rightly noted by development practitioners, Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 which focuses on the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment is a cross-cutting goal. Despite the realisation that success in the achievement of this goal leads to progress in the attainment of other MDGs, only a few countries in the world have made commendable progress on gender equality and justice in all areas of life. What we have at the moment, from available evidence is that even in Scandinavian countries that are making tremendous advancement in the area of women’s political participation, a lot of work is still required to attain gender parity in its entirety.
It is heart-warming therefore that Liberia, the tiny West-African country emerging from many years of civil war which was considered as one of the deadliest in the region, is one of the few success stories that we have around the world. This is not only because the people elected the first female president in Africa, but because the nation is taking on so much within the limits of available resources, to ensure that everyone has equal rights and opportunities.
The recently organised International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, convened by the Presidents of Liberia and Finland in Monrovia – two female Presidents - was a truly historic event, and a testimony to the saying that ‘when women lead, change follows’! This 2-day programme which was localised for another two days to maximise the benefits to the Liberian society, brought together the most powerful women of the world, a few of our male allies (gender equality champions) as well as young people to Monrovia. On the roll call were presidents, former presidents, prime ministers, governors - generals, market women, vice presidents, teachers, cabinet ministers, women’s human rights advocates, among others. President Kagame of Rwanda and President Wade of Senegal were presented with awards in recognition of their efforts to promote gender equality in their countries. It was my first time of seeing world leaders mingling with those they are leading under a ‘palaver hut’ (bamboo shed), and referring to them as ‘dear friends’! That, I think, is what happens when we trust and elect women into such high positions, knowing fully well that they will look out for the interests of all. We surely need to do more of that in Africa.
One central issue around which the theme of the colloquium was organised was MDG 3 and every session was linked to issues related to the actualisation of the Goal 3 to ensure gender justice in the world. This was reflected at the international colloquium because every session was aimed at just that.
Every minute that I spent at the International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security were moments of reflection for me. For the first time in my life I saw the political will and sincerity of purpose of government and the good will of the people rolled into one. As I moved from one room to the other, and from one activity to the next, making sure that the event was effectively recorded, I saw hope for a new future and a new order for women and men. In addition to that, I observed the very high expectation from Liberia to chart the path to a new dawn towards the actualisation of gender equality and inclusion. This to my mind is an immense responsibility on the shoulders of the government and of course the people of Liberia, as well as those of other African countries. Other stakeholders that will bear the burden because of their presence in the country and because of their pledge of commitment to the restoration of peace and growth of Liberia include all UN agencies, AU and ECOWAS organs, donor organisations, and other development partners.
Some of the strategies that have worked in achieving MDG 3, as discussed by participants at the colloquium, based on the experiences from around the world include investing in the education of the girl-child through the provision of scholarships, recruitment of female teachers, safe environment for girls; improving women’s participation in politics with the adoption of special measures such as constitutional reform; education and sensitization; a variety of quota systems (fast or incremental track), as well as innovative electoral systems. Other effective mechanisms are: supportive policy and institutional environment for women’s economic empowerment, such as the establishment of development banks that focus on small and medium scale enterprises, as well as micro-credit schemes; integration of all sexual and reproductive health and rights components; alliances and alliance building; revision of curriculum from a gender-sensitive perspective; development of peer support and mentoring programmes, among others. It is my fervent hope that Nigeria will learn from all the good practices.
I must confess that I was overwhelmed when I read ‘Let justice be done to all’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. To people who are visiting Liberia for the first time, it would seem that it has always been there, but for me, it is a giant stride. The first time I visited in 2004, I saw ‘let justice be done to all men’, on that wall. As a feminist, I raised questions bordering on exclusion and my friends in different spheres of Liberian life assured me that it will be taken care of in due course. And it has been taken care of! That for me is MDG 3 in progress!
Developing a national action plan and pioneering the call to action on UN SCR 1325 for Liberia, just like her Finnish counterpart is also commendable and I hope that other countries present will emulate this.
To consolidate the gains made so far however, and address the challenges identified since Ma Ellen (that is what Liberians fondly call their president) took the reins, I could not help but reflect upon the following questions: What more must the country do? What does Liberia need to do what she must do? Who does she need to do what she must do? Are the other countries of Africa, especially my own Nigeria taking notes from this rebuilding exercise? I honestly think that somebody somewhere must tell somebody that matters, especially in this era of ‘re-branding’ that it is not just enough to do peace keeping in times of war and crisis; it is not too much for the ‘giant super powers’ of Africa to also learn a lesson from the ‘ants’ in instances like this.
The forgoing are rhetorical questions which I have tried to provide answers to on my own and in response, I found that although so many interrelated activities were being undertaken to ensure gender justice and gender equality in Liberia, there are also concrete moves to, also simultaneously, establish new partnerships, and strengthen those alliances that work.
In the area of what the country needs to do, I could see that by beginning to learn to trust one another and their intentions again, the wounds of the past are healing. Since there is political will already, the other essential ingredients such as determination, perseverance, friendship, solidarity, mutual respect, among other things were what I saw being evoked by the leadership of the country.
Liberia is a country that is making use of a need for one another! Admittedly, she still needs more relevant government agencies, INGOs, NGOs, women’s groups, UN, AU, ECOWAS, donors and so on, but the nation is relying on in-house resources. Furthermore, there is a massive search for men who believe in gender justice so that the nation can get to its ordained destination with men and women walking side by side for a better tomorrow that future generations would be proud of. I dare say that so far, the output has been heart warming.
One suggestion that I would proffer is that women who have been and those who presently are in national, regional or traditional leadership positions should work together more than ever before. Those who have been there will provide support, and those who are there now are encouraged to share their challenges and frustrations, as well as their successes with them. This is so different from what I am used to in Nigeria. In my own country, regarded as the big heart of Africa, the political landscape is a competition or scramble for the national cake in terms of funds and positions. Consequently, it is difficult for women to present a common front to tackle the monster known as gender discrimination in our midst.
During my two-week stay in Liberia, I saw a yearning to foster horizontal relationships, where everybody feels a part of the process – young people, youngish ones, older people, oldish Liberians - without the sense of inferiority or superiority. Indeed, for Nigeria to make progress on MDG 3, I believe there must be inter-generational sharing where, like Liberia, we set aside our differences, initiate a healing process from poor governance and allow it to take firm root, trust one another and work together for the common good.
Liberians are not insisting that there is really a blueprint for working together. However, I could deduce that the following steps were informing their quest for progress in developing partnerships for inclusive and sustainable development, especially as they strategised to ensure the implementation of the Liberia National Plan of Action for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325:
Identifying potential for partnership; examining the barriers to transformative partnership using case studies from the country; assessing relevant stakeholders and their roles in the process; developing terms of reference for different stakeholders; taking action! and; re-strategising if and when necessary
I know that we are wired differently, but we must re-programme ourselves to put the common good first and foremost in our hearts and in our deeds. I also believe that to make a difference, we need to be different. There are, as always, a variety of ways of doing things and I am sure that when we explore transformative partnership further, Liberia will not only be the model in Africa, the whole world will always be on the lookout for directions from Liberia. In the same vein, if Nigeria pays attention, and our rulers mend their ways, who knows, the nation could also be the toast o the world.
Liberia is surely the good practice for the actualisation of MDG 3 in Africa.
