Deputy Gender Minister Raps On Gender's Progress

Mr. Hassan Karneh

(Monrovia, Liberia - Monday, June 22, 2020) Deputy Minister for Research Planning and Policy at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Mr. Hassan Karneh has rolled out remarkable achievements the Ministry has achieved within a period of a year.

Appearing Saturday, June 20, 2020, on an online talkshow styled 'Focus on Liberia' based in Atlanta Georgia, USA - Mr. Karneh said his Ministry has over the year achieved with support from partners the following but not limited to:

The enactment of the Domestic Violence Act;

Developed and validated the Abridged Version of the Revised National Gender

Policy (2018-2022);

Set up a unified and comprehensive Social Registry (SR) to store data on both actual and potential beneficiaries; installation of an Integrated Management Information System (MIS) to enable a more efficient and effective service delivery; as well as to improve the tracking of administrative costs and results of the overall Social Protection programs being implemented by various stakeholders in Liberia, with support from the World Bank;

Re-certificated 4,175 former Social Cash Transfer beneficiaries and provided cash to 3,250 beneficiaries in Grand Kru and Maryland Counties, thus achieving the project goal of reaching 10,000 extremely poor and food-insecure households in four counties by 2021, through the Liberia Social Safety Net Project;

Secured the Spotlight Initiative, a project financed by the European Union and the United Nations, which focuses on eliminating violence and harmful traditional practices and at the same time promotes sexual reproductive health and rights;

Ensured the signing of a national Policy Statement to suspend all Sande activities for a period of one year, in collaboration with the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs;

Launched the Economic Livelihood Alternative Program to empower Zoes by providing an alternative livelihood option as a way of containing the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia;

Established the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit within the Ministry with the aim to institutionalize gender-responsive planning and budgeting, with support from UN Women;

Facilitated the establishment of Gender & Social Inclusion Units at Liberia

Electricity Corporation, Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Public Works in an effort to address the issues of gender inequalities and bridge the gender gaps, with support from Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Liberia;

Provided educational and livelihood support to vulnerable young girls, between the ages of 8-23 years, with twenty (20) beneficiaries accommodated at the Victoria A. Tolbert Hostel for Girls in Gbalatuah, Bong County; and thirty (30) vulnerable girls attending Ricks Institute and Bromley Mission for Girls, respectively, under the Vulnerable Girls Program;

Nationally launched the 50 Million African Women Speak Platform Project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through ECOWAS, to provide a digital platform that will support women’s entrepreneur in accessing business and non-business information while expanding their network-based through mentorship and networking across the continent of Africa;

Initiated and facilitated a dialogue to increase women’s political participation from grass root levels to consolidate a joint effort in ending domestic violence;

Identified, documented and intervened in cases involving 2,084 children (1,023 girls and 1,061 boys). These cases ranged from abandonment, street children, medical needs, persistent non-support, multiple birth children and children with single parents as well as other forms of vulnerabilities;

Developed, validated and ensured the endorsement of the Second Phase of the Liberia National Action Plan on Women Peace & Security (UNSCR 1325) and

Completed and submitted to the United Nations the “National Review Report on

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action”, with support from UN Women; Developed and validated the 9

th Periodic Country Report on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), pending cabinet endorsement.

The Deputy Gender Boss said, though the Ministry has made significant progress there are still challenges that require the collective efforts of all Liberian especially in curbing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence cases as well as gender equality.