The Young Liberian Women Organization for Improvement (WOFIM) say they want Liberian women and girls to be protected against gender-based violence in Liberia.
According to the Executive Director of WOFIM, Konah S. Kollie, the Liberian government should support the implementation of laws and policies that protect women and girls from all forms of violence in the country.
Kollie made the statement over the weekend when she launched the 16 days of Activism in Liberia at the organization’s head office in Sinkor.
She noted that the objectives of this 16 days activism are intended to improve knowledge and contribute increasingly to the pool of advocating for the domestication of the Maputo Protocol for the actualization of the rights of women in Anglophone countries in West Africa.
She noted that this is required to raise public awareness and enhance the visibility of the Maputo Protocol, as well as holding dialogue on the utilization of articles 4 and 14 to end sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) and the promotion of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Kollie revealed that Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol compels states to identify the causes and consequences of violence against women, penalize the perpetrators of said violence and actively promote peace and education.
She maintained that Article 14 of the Maputo Protocol extends absolute autonomy to women in all matters related to sexual and reproductive health, including the rights to control fertility, contraceptive methods and family planning education and HIV/AIDS education and protection.
According to her, this will also help to enhance the networking, partnership and communication capacities of the Solidarity for African Women’s Right (SOAWR) members within the Anglophone West Africa cluster for the promotion of women rights in the sub-region.
Kollie asserted that this year’s 16 days of activism is characterized by press releases, social media advocacy and simultaneous advocacy awareness meeting for stakeholders on the domestication and implementation of the Maputo Protocol.
According to her, this year’s 16 days of activism, which is celebrated each year from November 25—along with the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day on December 10—is intended to provide comprehensive information to the public, held under the theme, “Let’s Unite to End the War on Women’s Bodies”, with the slogan, “Her Life, her Body, her Choice”.