WONGOSOL opens its Annual General Assembly focus on promoting Women’s participation

By: Matalay Kollie, Bong County Correspondent

GBARNGA: The Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), has commenced its Annual General Assembly in Gbarnga, Bong County with over one hundred (150)women from different Women non-governmental organizations in attendance.

The assembly is being commemorated under the theme “Promoting Women’s Leadership in Our Growing Democracy, a Call to Action to Invest in Women Organizations Nationally.”

WONGOSOL’s Executive Director, Esther S. Davies Yango told journalists that the assembly is intended to review the organization’s policy documents for possible amendment and to also elect new scores of officers to run the affairs of the organization for its next constitutional term.

Madam Yango further revealed that reviewing and amending the policy documents of WONGOSOL will help strengthen policy documents as the Women-driven organization leads to a transition of government.

She also added that the amendment of the organization’s policy documents will help in incorporating missing ideas that were not introduced in the organization’s operations for the past six years.

At the same time, the WONGOSOL’s Executive Director underscored inadequate women representation in the national legislature and the alleged marginalization of women in key leadership positions as factors affecting women in society; adding that those are barriers that the organisation intends to focus on minimizing.

She also echoes the amendment of section 4.5 of the Elections’ Law of Liberia, which calls for 30% gender participation in a political party, a plan according to her, was not amended before the conduct of the October 10, 2023, general and presidential elections.

At the same time, Madam Yango has revealed that the alleged marginalization of women against taking on leadership positions continues to increase in every sector of society by their male counterparts, thereby cautioning those involved to desist.

Also Guest speaking at the Assembly, Nobel 2011 Peace Laureate Madam Leymah Gbowee called for increasing women’s participation in key sectors of Liberia.

The Liberian Peace Activist, social worker and Women’s rights advocate also used the medium to encourage heads of women-driven organizations to provide space for members their individual organizations to acquire training opportunities at different national and international workshops.

She believes, if learning space is provided to members of women’s organizations, it will play a pivotal role in developing their capacities to be self-reliant in society.

Madam Gbowee also called on members of WONGOSOL not to feel inferior to themselves, but to ensure in activities their will make them vibrant in overcoming some challenges they are faced with in society.

The founder of the “Gbowee Peace Foundation also call on women at the assembly to follow the footsteps of other successful women in Liberia and the World at large if they must be celebrated in their endeavours.

The prestigious Nobel Prize Winner also used the occasion to recommend to the leadership of WONGOSOL to arrange a special session intended to provide members of the organization to express their individual disenchantments about the day-to-day activities of WONGOSOL.

According to her, if disenchantments from individual members of the organization are expressed, it will enable the leadership of the organization to overcome its inhouse fight, if any.

Meanwhile, the leadership of WONGOSOL during the assembly agreed to maintain Madam Frances Greaves as Acting General Assembly President until an election is conducted.

The Annual General Assembly will be climax by an electoral process on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Positions to be contested for include, Chair and Vice Chairpersons of the Board of WONGOSOL, five Regional board members from Liberia’s fifteen counties and four board members from Mountserrado county.

WONGOSOL, during day two of the assembly also launched a “Website for Publications of its content and other related issues of the Organization’ Scope of operations.