“It is important to invest in women’s organisations because they have a track record of doing a lot in the communities.”

Meet Esther Yango, Executive Director of the Women’s NGO’s Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), the coordinating body of women’s groups in Liberia. As Liberia joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence under the theme ‘Invest to prevent violence against women and girls,’ Mrs. Yango reflects on her organisation’s contribution to the process for the elimination of gender-based violence in Liberia and shares her message. 

“WONGOSOL has been instrumental in working with community groups with support from UN Women to ensure gender-based violence is reduced in the community.
‘With support from UN Women, we have worked through community structures like the women’s peace huts to ensure that the domestic violence bill was passed in the interest of women and to ensure that the rape law is implemented in the counties and Liberia at large. Because of the work we have done, a lot of cases have been reported and adjudicated in the interest of survivors of violence.’ 

As we celebrate the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence under the theme ‘Invest to prevent violence against women and girls,’ we are calling on our national and international partners, as well as the Government of Liberia to support and invest in women’s organisations and structures that provide services to survivors of gender-based violence to sustain advocacy, strengthen institutions and reinforce the rule of law to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

 It is important to invest in women’s organisations because they have a track record of doing a lot in the communities. Their work has been documented, they have ample knowledge of their communities, and they are known for the brilliant work they have been doing in supporting women using their own resources to create awareness and ensure that women are empowered.

UN Women has been supporting the Government of Liberia to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls with support from the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative and the Government of Sweden.