Members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus (WLC) of the 55th Session of the Liberian Legislature will today, Wednesday, 29 May 2024, launch their Strategic Plan at an official ceremony at the Capitol in Monrovia.

The WLC’s Strategic Plan, which includes an annual work plan, provides the strategic direction and guidance of the Caucus for the next five years. The Strategic Plan is built around three key programmatic pillars which correspond to the three cardinal functions of elected representatives (legislative, oversight, and representative functions) and which aim at 1) bringing a gender perspective to a wide range of legislation and to draft and advocate for laws promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; 2) strengthening gender-responsive budgeting and holding relevant authorities accountable for addressing women’s rights and gender disparities in government policies, programs, and the provision of public goods and services; 3) better represent the interests, concerns, and values of their constituents, and promote women’s participation in politics, public leadership, and elections. Encouraging an inclusive, accountable, and participatory democracy remains the overarching concern of the WLC. 

Established in 2006 for the primary aims of increasing the participation and representation of women in decision making, enhancing more gender-responsive legislation as well as fostering networking and capacity-building to mainstream a gender perspective into national legislation and budgeting, the WLC has contributed to the passage of the Domestic Violence Law and has advocated for affirmative action for women in politics, and other issues affecting women and girls. 

In late April 2024, the WLCL, led by its Chairperson and President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, held a two-day retreat in Margibi County to revise their Strategic Plan for the next five years (2024-2028) together with an annual plan for 2024. 

The WLC’s Strategic Plan will be implemented with the support of the Liberia Electoral Support Project Plus (LESP+) project (2023 – 2026). LESP+ is a post-election programme implemented by National Elections Commission (NEC), UNDP, UN Women, and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) and funded by the European Union, and Governments of Sweden and Ireland. 

Members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus and other legislators from both the Senate and House of Representatives, national and international partners as well as the media are expected to grace the occasion.

The WLC includes 11 female lawmakers including Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Senate Pro-Tempore and Senator, Grand Bassa County; Senator Botoe Kanneh, Gbarpolu County; Senator Dabah M. Varpilah, Grand Cape Mount County; Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah, District #6 / Bong County; Representative Bintu Massalay, District # 1 / Grand Cape Mount; Representative Gbessie Sonii-Feika, District # 3 / Grand Cape Mount County; Representative Julie F. Wiah, District # 2 / Lofa County; Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh, District 3 / Margibi County; Representative Rugie Yatu Barry, District # 1 / Montserrado County; Representative Prescilla Abrams-Cooper, District # 5 / Montserrado County; and Representative Marie Johnson, District # 2 / Grand Gedeh County.