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| Liberia |
Elections the world over are about stocktaking and making critical decisions in choosing leaders that would foster political, socio, and economic agendas in the interest of the common people. No wonder why at times, they can be so emotionally charged especially during the debates and campaigns. It can be so amusing seeing how one candidate with no sense of true leadership, vision, compassion, and humility can blow his/her own horns as the messiah while at the same time brutally crucifies the opponent even if it is abundantly known that the opponent has a better case. But that is the beauty of democracy.
So it is left with us the electorates to discern as to who is saying the truth as “truth” has many sides. In the wisdom of former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. “The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market”. So it shall be
left with us to test all the truths and decide on which one is better for Liberia. And for Liberia, we are just beginning to enjoy this virtue of democracy which calls for periodic elections via competition of ideas and track record and departing from the jungle struggle where the mightiest survives, a debauched system that we’ve tested, yet failed us over the years.
Democratic elections are good. But they are even better if we use them wisely in voting in the right people who would champion the aspirations of the powerless. Only then will we yield the fruits of standing on long queue in selecting our leaders. Too many times politicians have climbed to power at our expense and forgetting quickly promises they made to electorates. We should use these elections as a means of erecting democratic checkpoints in making sure that we get the best out of the candidates. One way to begin is accessing how child friendly and gender sensitive they are.
Liberia is lacking behind simply because we have failed miserably in putting children and women issues on the national agenda. Too often we talk a lot, yet do little or nothing about their cause. No nation can progress if children and women’s issues are not taken as a priority among priorities. While we appreciate that other issues would come up during these elections, we should not forget to test our legislative and presidential candidates on their child friendliness and gender sensitivity
But who is a child friendly and gender sensitive candidate, one may wonder. Someone who has the enviable record of standing up for the rights and welfare of children and women. It is also important that this person must have developed and carried out programs favorable to their cause. And here, I do not mean having the usual political jamboree of New Year, Independence, and Christmas Parties for children and women where politicians lavish food and gifts only for recognition and big bluff. And when the celebration ends, it is over. These children and women revert to their deprived situation.
left with us to test all the truths and decide on which one is better for Liberia. And for Liberia, we are just beginning to enjoy this virtue of democracy which calls for periodic elections via competition of ideas and track record and departing from the jungle struggle where the mightiest survives, a debauched system that we’ve tested, yet failed us over the years.
Democratic elections are good. But they are even better if we use them wisely in voting in the right people who would champion the aspirations of the powerless. Only then will we yield the fruits of standing on long queue in selecting our leaders. Too many times politicians have climbed to power at our expense and forgetting quickly promises they made to electorates. We should use these elections as a means of erecting democratic checkpoints in making sure that we get the best out of the candidates. One way to begin is accessing how child friendly and gender sensitive they are.
Liberia is lacking behind simply because we have failed miserably in putting children and women issues on the national agenda. Too often we talk a lot, yet do little or nothing about their cause. No nation can progress if children and women’s issues are not taken as a priority among priorities. While we appreciate that other issues would come up during these elections, we should not forget to test our legislative and presidential candidates on their child friendliness and gender sensitivity
But who is a child friendly and gender sensitive candidate, one may wonder. Someone who has the enviable record of standing up for the rights and welfare of children and women. It is also important that this person must have developed and carried out programs favorable to their cause. And here, I do not mean having the usual political jamboree of New Year, Independence, and Christmas Parties for children and women where politicians lavish food and gifts only for recognition and big bluff. And when the celebration ends, it is over. These children and women revert to their deprived situation.
We mean having programs that provide opportunities for children and women who were once susceptible but are now empowered through our intervention. Those who advocated for the vulnerable who were once oppressed but today explore a window of opportunity of making informed choices due to the fact they are empowered. We are not talking about giving cash to people because you were in need of their votes anyway, but perhaps through your work and advocacy, children and women were provided alternatives, a safety plan.
It is also important that we know the candidates platforms on how they would defend the children and women population. How would the candidates deal with the Poro and Sande Societies and their certification for instance? And the alleged trafficking of women and children? What is their understanding of empowerment and how are they going to take the vulnerable from the situation of being deprived to the point of exercising political, economic, and social freedom? What about the plight of thousands of children born out of wedlock and are not being looked after by their biological fathers? What safety measures will be in place in making sure that their development and protection rights are ensured?
What are our legislative and presidential candidates saying about child labor? What programmatic measures will be put into place in withdrawing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating them into communities? Experiences have proven that by merely ordering to arrest their abusive parents and send them to courts have yielded nothing. The children are back laboring, and some are painstakingly crushing rocks all in the need of survival. We need leaders who will think outside of the box and find answers to these social problems.
And what about the situation of sex workers? It is true that we have a law prohibiting prostitution. It is always good to prevent rather than theorize prescriptions that will not work. What alternatives are our leaders working on to address this social menace? Where will they start from or will we just be told because it is the oldest profession, is there nothing we will do about it? This is a vulnerable segment of our population that needs serious attention. And their plight can be flagged up now during these debates rather than later.
What is happening to the Gender Equity Bill? The argument that women should equally fight for their place in the politics of our country seems to me to be out of place. Liberia, like many countries is a patriarchal society. This is deeply rooted in our cultural practices, which give men all of the power to dominate beginning in the home, to the community, to institutions, and then to the national level. True, we took a gigantic step a few years back to produce the first female president on the continent. But we are not there yet in bringing about equity. And the Bill is not calling for 50 percent, but only 30 percent. At the moment, who is using economic abuse, coercion and threats, intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, denying and blaming and making all the big decisions in Liberia at all levels? If our answer is that it is not done equally between male and female, then our candidates must tell us something about the Gender Equity Bill.
The Child Rights Bill has been on the desk of the National Legislature now for more than three years. It is still being debated even on the eve of elections. Liberia has signed and ratified most of the international laws and protocols favorable to the advancement of children. There are also some provisions in our own laws that protect children. To address the child protection issue, one has to move from one document to the other. So the way forward was to harmonize all of the laws and provisions in one Act, so that children would be given the attention they truly deserve. Again, the Child Rights Bill is yet to become a law. It is at the National Legislature. What are our legislative, senatorial, and presidential candidates saying on this critical issue?
The Liberian Reform Education Act has been signed into law. Thanks to all who played a role in making sure that education is given the place it deserves. But the question now, what is the political will power of our candidates in making sure that the very provisions of this law will be implemented? I can’t recall when the 2001 Education Act was actually put into effect, especially the 25 percent allocation to education from the National Budget.
It is good that we listen to the extravagant speeches of the candidates, promising to build bridges where there are no rivers, but let us begin to erect democratic checkpoints in accessing whether candidates are child friendly and gender sensitive. If we elect leaders who are sensitive to the plight of children and women, Liberia would accrue multiplier dividends, not only for now, but for posterity as well. The decision is yours; exercise it consciously in making children and women paramount during these elections.
It is also important that we know the candidates platforms on how they would defend the children and women population. How would the candidates deal with the Poro and Sande Societies and their certification for instance? And the alleged trafficking of women and children? What is their understanding of empowerment and how are they going to take the vulnerable from the situation of being deprived to the point of exercising political, economic, and social freedom? What about the plight of thousands of children born out of wedlock and are not being looked after by their biological fathers? What safety measures will be in place in making sure that their development and protection rights are ensured?
What are our legislative and presidential candidates saying about child labor? What programmatic measures will be put into place in withdrawing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating them into communities? Experiences have proven that by merely ordering to arrest their abusive parents and send them to courts have yielded nothing. The children are back laboring, and some are painstakingly crushing rocks all in the need of survival. We need leaders who will think outside of the box and find answers to these social problems.
And what about the situation of sex workers? It is true that we have a law prohibiting prostitution. It is always good to prevent rather than theorize prescriptions that will not work. What alternatives are our leaders working on to address this social menace? Where will they start from or will we just be told because it is the oldest profession, is there nothing we will do about it? This is a vulnerable segment of our population that needs serious attention. And their plight can be flagged up now during these debates rather than later.
What is happening to the Gender Equity Bill? The argument that women should equally fight for their place in the politics of our country seems to me to be out of place. Liberia, like many countries is a patriarchal society. This is deeply rooted in our cultural practices, which give men all of the power to dominate beginning in the home, to the community, to institutions, and then to the national level. True, we took a gigantic step a few years back to produce the first female president on the continent. But we are not there yet in bringing about equity. And the Bill is not calling for 50 percent, but only 30 percent. At the moment, who is using economic abuse, coercion and threats, intimidation, emotional abuse, isolation, denying and blaming and making all the big decisions in Liberia at all levels? If our answer is that it is not done equally between male and female, then our candidates must tell us something about the Gender Equity Bill.
The Child Rights Bill has been on the desk of the National Legislature now for more than three years. It is still being debated even on the eve of elections. Liberia has signed and ratified most of the international laws and protocols favorable to the advancement of children. There are also some provisions in our own laws that protect children. To address the child protection issue, one has to move from one document to the other. So the way forward was to harmonize all of the laws and provisions in one Act, so that children would be given the attention they truly deserve. Again, the Child Rights Bill is yet to become a law. It is at the National Legislature. What are our legislative, senatorial, and presidential candidates saying on this critical issue?
The Liberian Reform Education Act has been signed into law. Thanks to all who played a role in making sure that education is given the place it deserves. But the question now, what is the political will power of our candidates in making sure that the very provisions of this law will be implemented? I can’t recall when the 2001 Education Act was actually put into effect, especially the 25 percent allocation to education from the National Budget.
It is good that we listen to the extravagant speeches of the candidates, promising to build bridges where there are no rivers, but let us begin to erect democratic checkpoints in accessing whether candidates are child friendly and gender sensitive. If we elect leaders who are sensitive to the plight of children and women, Liberia would accrue multiplier dividends, not only for now, but for posterity as well. The decision is yours; exercise it consciously in making children and women paramount during these elections.
About the Author: A. Alvin Winford is Program Manager of the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) Liberia, a National NGO. He is a 2001/2002 B.A. Mass Communication and Political Science Graduate of the University of Liberia. He is presently a 2011 Community Solutions Program Participant posted as a Fellow at the Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence in San Jose, California. The Community Solutions Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and implemented by IREX. He can be reached at zanglib@yahoo.com or awinford@nextdoor.org
