ActionAid-Liberia, Partners Want Senate Ratify C190 Convention

ActionAid Youth Partners, a conglomeration of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have called on the Liberian Senate to ratify the C190 Violence and Harassment convention and its accompanying recommendation to end violence and harassment in the world of work.

The Convention C190 is a landmark global binding treaty adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in June of 2019 to eliminate gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. The world’s governments and workers adopted the convention and Liberia played an active role.   

ActionAid Youth Partners, with funding from SIDA through ActionAid-Liberia, made the call on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at a program marking the official closing exercise of the 16 Days of Activism campaign held at the ActionAid-Liberia’s offices on the Old Road.

Garmai Yarsiah, Coordinator of the Safe Cities for Women and Girls, who read the petition, said gender-based violence and harassment is a severe human and worker rights issue that negatively affects individuals in workplaces and society.

Ms. Yarsiah said it is a significant barrier for women and men in accessing decent and productive work. Wednesday’s program brought together representatives from top civil society organizations and a short video shown on the role of advocates in ending and the importance of their voices.

“The rates of gender-based violence and harassment have infiltrated all aspects of lives and are deeply entrenched in today’s world thereby affecting millions of workers especially women in schools, homes, communities and workplaces. It is prevalent in Liberian society and unfortunately accepted at some levels, an integral part of gender relations,” Ms. Yarsiah said.

Reading the petition, Ms. Yarsiah said rape continues to be the most frequently reported serious crime in Liberia, though she acknowledged President George M. Weah’s declaration of rape as “national emergency,” in 2020.

She said violence and harassment in the world of work can constitute a human and worker rights violation or abuse and such violation and harassment are threats to equal opportunities and are unacceptable and incompatible with the promotion of decent work. 

Gloria D. Yancy, ActionAid-Liberia Coordinator for JEC project said ActionAid-Liberia has been working with local rural women structures and boys and girls forum and building their capacity to know the issues of sexual and gender-based violence. 

“From a survey conducted, we realized that SGBV was the order of the day and the locals did not know what to do, where to go and who to contact whenever faced with these issues. And the five years project with funding from SIDA helped to build our people capacity and if rape occurred today in a rural areas, our people know where to go now and report the rape,” Madam Yancy.

According to her, due to the capacity-building done by ActionAid-Liberia, women and girls are now able to make personal decision, including not going to the ‘Sande Bush’ for female genital mutilation (FGM), which was not done before.

“Teenage pregnancy was leading to high dropout [rates] of school girls because a girl was not allowed to take family planning until it’s discussed with the boyfriend, father and mother. And if the boyfriend insists, she will not be allowed to take the family planning,” Madam Yancy indicated.

Lawrence G. Tarr, Chief of Office Staff in the office of Senator Wellington Geevon Smith of RiverCess County, pledged the Senator’s commitment to lobbying with colleagues to ensure the ratification of the C190.

Mr. Tarr said although Liberia is not where it should be, there have been some gains made over the years and called on everyone to be part of the process in ending violence against women and girls. 

“Laws are good, but laws have not ended impunity in the world. There are laws on the book but yet people are violating the rights of women and girls. The most important thing we need to do is pragmatic action and we all need to get involved so that this issue can be addressed,” Mr. Tarr said.

Boakai Sirleaf, Director of Trade Union Affairs at the Ministry of Labor, urges parents to desist from exposing their children to harassment, indicating, “this is something that starts in the home.”

Mr. Sirleaf said the Ministry is more concerned about violence and harassment at the workplaces and expressed the Labor Minister’s Commitment to the ratification of the C190, which will lead to the elimination of violence and harassment.