From Mentorship to Leadership: Liberia’s Women Legislators Open the Door to the Next Generation of Women Leaders

September 17, 2026, Monrovia - The Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL), with support from UN Women and the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Fund administered by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), has launched its Mentorship and Internship Initiative, welcoming 23 young women into a four-month programme designed to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in governance.

The initiative is being implemented under the project “Women Legislators in Liberia Promoting Voice, Leadership, and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development”, supported by IBSA/ UNOSSC.  The launch took place at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, bringing together women legislators, partners and young women selected to participate in the programme.

A flagship activity under the WLCL Strategic Plan, the initiative supports Strategic Objective 3: Promote Women’s Equal Participation and Representation. It seeks to strengthen the pipeline of future women leaders by expanding young women’s exposure to politics, public leadership, legislative processes, and community engagement.

Through a combination of structured internships and mentorship, participants will gain practical experience in legislative offices and opportunities to learn directly from women legislators serving in public office.

The internship component will expose participants to legislative procedures, policy discussions, constituency outreach, legislative research, and other aspects of legislative and public engagement. The mentorship component will provide regular guidance, leadership advice, reflection, and opportunities to learn from the professional experiences of women legislators.

Each participating legislator will serve as both placement supervisor and mentor, supporting her intern through practical assignments, guided learning, and exposure to public leadership throughout the four-month programme.

Participants were selected through a transparent, merit-based process led by National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL) in collaboration with WLCL and UN Women, considering leadership potential, interest in governance and public service, commitment to community engagement, and readiness.

To ensure meaningful learning, participants are expected to complete weekly reflection notes, legislative observation briefs, constituency engagement summaries, and research or briefing assignments. Each participant will also develop a Final Leadership Project concept or presentation addressing an issue affecting women and girls in her community.

Speaking at the launch, WLCL Chairperson Hon. Ellen Attoh-Wreh encouraged the participants to take the opportunity seriously and make the most of the experience.

“We can’t say the youth are our future leaders and we’re not preparing them for the future. It’s our hope that you take this mentorship very seriously. We hope you won’t take this opportunity for granted,” she said.

H.E. Manoj Bihari Verma, Ambassador of India to Liberia, highlighted the importance of mentorship and intergenerational learning. 

“Leadership is strengthened when experience is shared, and institutions become stronger when knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. I hope this initiative will inspire and prepare a new generation of confident, capable and committed women leaders for Liberia.”

UN Women Liberia Country Representative Monjurul Kabir expressed appreciation for WLCL’s commitment to preparing the next generation of women leaders.

“This initiative shows the Caucus’ commitment to the next generation of women leaders. Women legislators are sharing their own experience to guide young women who want to serve and lead,” he said.

The initiative is expected to help participants build confidence, practical leadership skills, professional networks, and a stronger foundation for future engagement in governance and public life.