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Gbarnga, Bong County – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has successfully concluded a two-day training on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and women empowerment for Gender County Coordinators and Social Workers from Liberia’s 15 counties.
The capacity-building workshop, held from December 4-5, 2024, took place in Gbarnga, Bong County, under Component 4 of the World Bank-funded Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP). The initiative, which forms part of the US$44.6 million LWEP, is being implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to address gender inequality and foster women’s empowerment.
The training aimed to transform gender perspectives, challenge gender-related stereotypes, and create a more inclusive approach to service delivery. Participants were equipped to monitor, track, and evaluate project outcomes and trained in the use of gender analysis frameworks and GBV referral pathways.
Representing Gender Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie, Madam Grace T. Kortu, Head of the Women Empowerment Division at MoGCSP, called on participants to approach the initiative with seriousness and dedication.
“This project should not be business as usual it should be something that’s going to show impact,” Madam Kortu emphasized.
She reminded participants of the importance of the World Bank-backed project, which includes both grant and loan components.
“We’re going to pay some of the loan tomorrow; we got a grant and loan,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability and tangible results.
Madam Kortu also highlighted the project’s broader mission to foster lifelong learning and behavioral change. She urged participants to share knowledge within their communities and to treat the project as an opportunity for positive transformation.
“Do not sit and say, ‘Oh, the project is not in my county,’” she admonished. “Your brother or sister could be in the next county that is benefiting from the project.”
She further emphasized that the goal of the initiative is to create a future where Liberians become “economically empowered, self-reliant, independent, and able to contribute positively to society.”
The training targets six counties Gbarpolu, Bomi, Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Rivercess, and Montserrado and aims to reach 267,200 beneficiaries from 750 communities. Central to the program’s impact strategy is to instill positive social norms, strengthen basic health and education services, and support resilient livelihoods through community-driven initiatives.
The livelihood and grant components of the LWEP are expected to benefit approximately 36,000 women. These efforts aim to enable women to generate sustainable income, improve living standards, and reduce gender-based violence in hard-to-reach communities.
In addition to promoting livelihoods and gender equity, Component 4 of the project focuses on institutional capacity building. It seeks to strengthen the ability of gender-focused ministries, such as the MoGCSP and the Ministry ofAgriculture (MoA), to generate sex-disaggregated data and deliver evidence-based, gender-sensitive programs.
During her remarks, Madam Kortu encouraged the Gender County Coordinators to maintain proactive and professional engagement as they lead local implementation in their respective counties.
“Our being here should not be a waste. The sole objective of the project should be met within our own behaviors and in the work we are going to do,” she stressed.
She also urged the participants to cascade the training by sharing their knowledge with others in their communities, ensuring a ripple effect of the training’s impact.
Madam Viola Cooper-Teamah, Regional Gender Coordinator of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, reinforced the call for participants to actively share the knowledge they had gained.
“We pray that this training is a special one it is meant to impact people with knowledge, and that knowledge must be taken back to the counties, not left behind,” she asserted.
Madam Cooper-Teamah acknowledged the efforts of the Gender Coordinators and Social Workers who participated, urging them to prioritize the training’s objectives.
“Be effective in your counties and impact others. This is how we will make a difference,” she encouraged them.
Several participants praised the initiative, commending the Government of Liberia and the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) for the opportunity to strengthen their skills and knowledge. Many of them pledged to put the training to good use by implementing the lessons learned in their respective counties.
A participant from Grand Gedeh County stated, “This training has opened our eyes to new strategies for combating gender-based violence and promoting women’s empowerment. We will make sure that others in our counties receive this knowledge.”
Another participant from Cape Mount added, “The emphasis on proactive engagement and gender analysis is crucial. We are ready to train others and ensure that the project achieves its goals.”
The Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) is a transformative initiative that seeks to promote positive social norms, strengthen public institutions, and support community-led development. The project is designed to tackle gender inequality, economic marginalization, and GBV in targeted counties.
Under the capacity-building framework of Component 4, the project enhances the ability of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to deliver gender-responsive programs. This includes the production of sex-disaggregated data and evidence-based approaches to policy development and implementation.
As part of the broader initiative, the project will help build resilient livelihoods for women in underserved communities, improve access to essential health and education services, and support the government’s agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
With the completion of this training, participants are now better positioned to deliver on these goals, ensuring that women in the six project counties receive enhanced support and access to livelihood opportunities.
The successful completion of the two-day training for Gender County Coordinators and Social Workers signifies a significant step forward for the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP). Through the support of the World Bank and the Government of Liberia, the MoGCSP is poised to address gender inequality, strengthen local leadership, and build a network of trained coordinators equipped to tackle gender-based violence and women’s empowerment.
As the six project counties gear up for full implementation, stakeholders remain optimistic that the initiative will foster economic empowerment, social resilience, and sustainable livelihoods for thousands of Liberian women.
With the call for action from Madam Grace T. Kortu and the leadership of Madam Viola Cooper-Teamah, the project’s success now rests in the hands of the trained county coordinators and social workers, whose proactive engagement will be key to meeting the project’s transformative goals.
