An activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Liberia known as Leymah Roberta Gbowee has launched a campaign against election-related violence. This move comes as the country prepares to hold midterm senatorial elections in December.
Gbowee’s campaign will adopt a peer-to-peer strategy where hundreds of Liberian youth will be recruited as peace ambassadors to reach out to their peers within their local communities and circles. The campaign will also move against vote buying and promote voter education.
Electoral Violence in Liberia
While the West African country is gradually achieving political stability since the end of the civil war in 2003, violence is a common occurrence during elections in Liberia putting its peace, security and democracy at risk. This has raised concerns in the international community, civil society members and opposition groups many of who have accused President George Weah of complicity especially in the killings that occurred during the District5 elections in August 2019. The blood bath that occurred in this election raises a flag for what can happen during the October polls.
What Should Liberia Do?
But electoral violence is not the only issue that triggers worry about the polls, lack of civic education and electoral malpractices are concerns which have been raised by civil society groups, and which Ms. Gobwee’s campaign seeks to solve. While efforts have been focused on security reforms due to Liberia’s strong history of violence, transformational and accountable governance as well as the expansion of Liberia’s civic space will ensure the sustainability of reforms.
The Women in Liberia’s Politics
Liberia produced the first female head of state in Africa, but women’s representation in Liberian politics remains very low with only a 12% representation in parliament. During an ECOWAS parliament last year, Liberia’s vice president, Madam Jewel Howard called for a 30% women representation in government to be enacted in Liberia. Women also remain the most affected during electoral violence in Liberia.
