Crunching the Numbers after the Final Count in Liberia's Ended Senate Vote: Why Some Numbers Matter More

3 The Number of Females in Liberia’s 30-member Senate

The number of women in Liberia’s 30 members Senate has reduced from five to three. This is the case because two of the incumbent female senators lost their bid for re-election in the ended special senatorial elections of 2014. Women now comprise 10% of the membership of Liberia’s upper house. The situation in Liberia’s 73- member lower house is not remarkably different.

The need to have an inclusive society, where women and men, have equal access to political participation is addressed in Liberia’s international commitment. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 gives recognition to the impact of war on women and outlines the importance of women’s role in conflict management, conflict resolution and sustainable peace[i].  The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) provides basis for the adoption of provisional special measures to reverse de facto discrimination. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action has provision for women in power and decision making with a goal of ‘gender balance in governmental bodies and committees, as well as in the judiciary’ and to achieve equal representation of women and men, if necessary through positive action, in all governmental and public administration positions’[ii]. A fair and just society is one in which the position and influence of every member is accounted in all layers of decision making.

The Beijing Platform is particularly relevant for Liberia. It has implications for broad layers of actors including government, national bodies, the private sector, political parties, trade unions, employers’ organizations, research and academic institutions, sub regional and regional bodies and non-governmental and international organizations to take action to ‘build a critical mass of women leaders, executives and managers in strategic decision-making positions[iii]’.

Efforts to institutionalize fairness legislation through the enactment of the ‘Gender Equity Bill’ have stalled in Liberia’s male dominated legislature. The debate in the public sphere has not been adequately informed by Liberia’s international obligations, and the evidence and consequence of the violent conflict on women that addresses the requirement for women’s fair involvement in all aspects of political and economic development. New opportunities must be explored. The human rights agenda, as underscored in UNMIL’s renewed mandate must take this dialogue and concrete support more firmly.

Liberia is not short of female leaders. Two Liberian females in 2011 won the Nobel Peace Prize for their exemplary contribution towards peace. Liberian women leaders in civil society, private sector and academia, are fulfilling crucial roles at different levels of the post-conflict society. It is clear that a critical mass of women’s leadership in the different fields can offer the catalyst for women to coalesce more strategically. A society that fails to advance adequate possibilities for all its members risk losing quite significant perspective.

While it is the case that Liberia can take reliance on its international obligations to advance the role and influence of women in political decision making, a stronger case must originate internally.  The  search for equal participation of women and men for fair and inclusive society must come from within by women and men committed in their search for gender justice.

Charles Lawrence lives and works in Liberia.

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[i] http://www.usip.org/gender_peacebuilding/about_UNSCR_1325#What_is_U.N._Security_Council_Resolution_1325

[ii] http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/decision.htm - see paragraph 190 (a)

[iii] http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/decision.htm - see paragraph 192 (a)