The Liberia’s comprehensive legal assessment examined constitutional, statutory, and customary laws through a gender lens, identifying provisions that directly or indirectly discriminate against women and girls. It also measured these laws against Liberia’s commitments under international and regional frameworks, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Maputo Protocol, and the Beijing Platform for Action.
The process was nationally led, with consultations held in Monrovia and Grand Cape Mount, Bong, and Grand Gedeh Counties. Over 30 institutions participated, including government line ministries, the National Legislature, the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), civil society organizations, academia as well as traditional leaders.
Hon. Curtis V. Dorley, Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning at the MGCSP, addressed the gathering:
“Despite our achievements, legal gaps and discriminatory provisions remain in both statutory and customary laws, thus preventing women and girls from realizing their full rights. We must work together to ensure that the principle of equality and non-discrimination is reflected in our laws.”
Cllr. Ramses T. Kumbuyah of the Law Reform Commission emphasized:
“This has been a valuable exercise. Drafting laws should not be confined to desk reviews alone – it must be an open, consultative process that incorporates diverse perspectives and reflects the realities of the people it serves.”
LNBA President, Cllr. Bornor M. Varmah, commended the work undertaken, noting that:
“The Association remains committed to supporting implementation. Engagement with the Legislature will be critical, as they hold the mandate to enact the necessary reforms. We will continue working closely with the Ministry, Legislature, and partners to ensure these recommendations are translated into laws that protect and promote the rights of all Liberians.”
Hon. Curtis V. Dorley, Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning at the MGCSP, and Yemi Falayajo, Deputy Representative, UN Women Liberia, Opening the Validation Workshop
According to the assessment findings, while there were isolated efforts to address discriminatory provisions in the past, these were fragmented and lacked a unified reform agenda. The report consolidates evidence and recommendations into a comprehensive roadmap to guide the Legislature, ministries, and other actors in drafting and amending laws to ensure equality in both purpose and effect.
UN Women Liberia’s Deputy Representative, Ms. Yemi Falayajo, highlighted the evidence-based nature of the assessment:
“This assessment brings together, for the first time, all the evidence on discriminatory laws into one nationally owned reference point. It provides an evidence-based foundation for reform and a clear path to align Liberia’s laws with its constitutional principles and international commitments, ensuring equality for all Liberians.”
UN Women Liberia will continue to support multi-stakeholder engagement, including with the Legislature, line ministries, civil society, and traditional leaders, to raise awareness of the findings and back gender-sensitive legal reforms, in line with its normative and coordination mandate.
The validation workshop is an important milestone in confirming the assessment’s findings, based on a review of 19 laws that identified discriminatory provisions in 14 of them. Key findings include inconsistencies between statutory and customary laws, with both containing provisions that leave women with weaker rights in marriage, inheritance, and property.
The assessment also points to constitutional limits on citizenship based on race, the lack of explicit protection against marital rape and harmful traditional practices, legal provisions that permit child marriage, and the absence of enforceable Temporary Special Measures to increase women’s political participation. Addressing these gaps through harmonised legal reforms is essential to advancing the rights of women and girls in Liberia.
