WHEDE TOWN, LOWER CAREYSBURG – The Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI) has launched a new platform called the Women Situation Bus (WSB), designed to give visibility to the voices and challenges of ordinary Liberian women, particularly those engaged in subsistence farming and petty trading.
The initiative, which was formally launched at the weekend at the ZEE-MAANNEH People’s Hall in Lower Careysburg, brought together more than 100 women, along with advocates from the Foundation for Women and the Women Community Initiative. Participants highlighted recurring issues of alleged abuse by Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) operatives and worsening insecurity at the Omega Market, which they say has been overrun by drug users and addicts.
Speaking at the launch, LMDI Director John Kollie described the Women Situation Bus as a unique and much-needed platform. “The WSB will be an imaginary vehicular platform moving across Liberia from community to community, highlighting women’s plight and issues and seeking solutions to them through interventional advocacies,” he explained.
According to Kollie, the new platform is a blend of media and grassroots outreach that will amplify women’s voices through interactive forums. “The Women Situation Bus is designed for exclusive but general women’s issues, especially those of ordinary women,” he said. He emphasized that the project was born out of what he sees as a general failure by the Liberian media and advocacy groups to adequately cover women’s concerns at the community level.
On the bus, women will gather in formal and informal settings to discuss their problems, joined by guests relevant to the issues at hand. The conversations will be broadcast on RADIO-ZEE-MAANNEH, also known as RADIO-Z 90.3FM, and partner radio stations nationwide, providing a national platform for community-driven solutions.
The Women Situation Bus is one of three new programs launched by LMDI for its newly established radio station, alongside University of the Air and The Legend. These additions complement LMDI’s nationally recognized platforms, including The Dialogue, Ducor Debates, and Tomorrow’s People.
The launch marked a significant step in broadening Liberia’s media landscape away from politically dominated coverage, giving space to critical social and community issues. “Our goal is to ensure that ordinary women, who often suffer in silence, finally have a national platform where their struggles are heard and addressed,” Kollie stressed.
The program’s rollout signals LMDI’s ongoing efforts to use media as a tool for development, with strong backing from its newly established community-focused radio station, RADIO-ZEE-MAANNEH.
