The Gender Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) of the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with UN Women, Local and other International Partners has successfully launched its Gender Policy and Five-Year Action Plan in Ganta, Nimba County with several local officials of the County Administration and security personnel in attendance.

Launched on October 16, 2024 at a local Hotel in Monrovia, the Gender Policy and Five-Year Action Plan brought forth a nationwide Policy Rollout in the fifteen political Sub-divisions of Liberia.

The Policy rollout which is separated into four (4) regions include; Region One (1); Grand Bassa, Margibi, Rivercess and Sinoe), Region two (2); Bong, Lofa and Nimba, Region Three (3); Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Gbarpolu and Region Four (4); Grand Gedeh, Rivergee, Maryland and Grand Kru Counties.

The Policy is intended to help promote gender equality and enhance women’s empowerment and social inclusion across the Justice Sector in Liberia with the objective of ensuring widespread awareness, understanding, and adoption of the Gender Policy in all Ministry of Justice’s local offices at the county level.

The Nationwide’s rollout, according to the Director of the Gender Social Inclusion Unit of the Ministry of Justice, Madam Maude Somah will focus on enhancing employees’ ownership of the policy while empowering the Ministry’s county authorities.

Madam Somah explained that the policy will also enable the Ministry’s local offices to advocate, integrate the policy’s principles into everyday’s practice while other objectives will focus on creating awareness among key stakeholders in the four regions on the Gender Policy and its goals, Provides training on gender mainstreaming and social inclusion of staffs and county authorities, establish mechanisms to monitor and evaluate policy implementation at regional and county levels as well as Promotes dialogue around gender equality, women’s rights, and social inclusion.

The launch of the Gender Policy and Five Year Action Plan in Ganta, Nimba County attracted several Justice and Security Actors from Lofa, Bong and Nimba counties, representing various security levels/sectors of the Ministry of Justice.

Those in attendance were; Nimba County Solicitors, Atty. Habakkuk D. Gono and Atty. Lincoln Paye of the Gompa Magisterial Court, Agt: Lawrence R. Vah, Deputy Commander of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency, Ganta Detachment, and many other counties’ stakeholders among others.

In his Opening remarks during start of the Workshop, Nimba County Solicitor, Atty. Habakkuk D. Gono welcomed and appreciated the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh and the Ministry of Justice’s Gender Social Inclusion Unit and partners for the farsighted initiative. He pledged the local County’s Administration’s fullest commitment to attach key priority to sustaining every GSIU section in all government’s institutions by what he termed as “Sufficient Budget Allocation”.

When completely rollout across the fifteen counties, the GSIU’s activities’ outcomes will increase awareness and understanding of Gender issues and Social Inclusion Nationwide as well as strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Justice’s Staffs.

On October 16, 2024, the Minister of Justice/ Attorney General of Liberia officially launched the Gender Policy and Five-year Plan (2024-2029) in pursuit to effectively carry out its functions and successfully promote the rule of law throughout Liberia.

Minister N. Oswald Tweh said, the 5-year policy is critical in achieving sustained recovery and rebuilding of the legal infrastructure of Liberia.

The official launch of the Gender Policy in Monrovia on Wednesday, October 16, 2024 was graced by representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Gender, Children and Social Protection and National Defense.

Other partners in attendance included; UN Women, Swedish Embassy, INL/ US Embassy, UNDP, ECOWAS, EU, USAID, Plan International among others.