MONROVIA – Women’s Rights Organizations are set to receive a major share of resources under Liberia’s new Gender Promotion Initiative 2.0, placing women led and women focused organizations at the center of efforts to strengthen peacebuilding, justice, governance and social cohesion across five counties.
More than 40 percent of resources under the three year, US$3 million programme are expected to be channelled directly to Women’s Rights Organizations through sub grants, according to the programme details presented Monday during the official launch in Monrovia.
The investment represents one of the most important features of GPI 2.0 because it is designed to move women’s organizations beyond participation in programmes and into stronger roles in advocacy, mediation, conflict prevention, reconciliation, negotiation and resource mobilization.
The programme is funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and will run from April 2026 to April 2029 in Montserrado, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Grand Cape Mount Counties.
The launch brought together government institutions, civil society organizations, women’s rights groups, cross border women traders, development partners and other stakeholders, reflecting the programme’s attempt to connect national policy with community level action.
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Gbeme Horace Kollie said the initiative must produce measurable changes in the lives of the people it is designed to serve.
She cautioned that success should not be measured by the number of meetings or activities completed but by whether women, survivors, young people and vulnerable communities experience real and lasting improvements.
The Minister’s position gives particular importance to the investment in Women’s Rights Organizations. If properly implemented, the sub grant component could strengthen organizations that already work directly with communities and understand the challenges confronting women and girls.
Those organizations are expected to use the support for strategic advocacy, mediation, conflict prevention, reconciliation and negotiation, areas that are closely connected to Liberia’s continuing efforts to strengthen peace and social cohesion.
The programme also seeks to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in decision making. That objective recognizes that women’s participation in national and community decision making is not limited to representation. It also involves giving women organizations the resources and institutional capacity required to influence policies and decisions.
UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia Christine Umutoni reinforced that message at the launch, emphasizing that Liberian women should not be viewed solely through the experience of conflict and victimhood.
Umutoni said women should be recognized as decision makers, leaders, agents of change and essential partners in Liberia’s efforts toward accountability, healing, reconciliation and sustainable peace.
Her position reflects the larger ambition of GPI 2.0 to connect gender equality with peacebuilding and governance. The programme is designed to support women not only as beneficiaries of interventions but also as participants who can help shape solutions to social and political challenges.
The focus on women’s organizations is particularly relevant to transitional justice. Liberia continues to face the long term consequences of its civil conflicts, and questions of accountability, healing and reconciliation remain part of the national conversation.
GPI 2.0 is expected to support gender responsive justice and accountability and strengthen institutions involved in justice and governance.
Among the institutions targeted for support are the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The institutional support is intended to strengthen gender responsive planning and budgeting, accountability, coordination and evidence based decision making.
For women’s rights groups, access to resources could strengthen their ability to engage these institutions and advocate for the concerns of women and survivors.
But the size of the allocation also creates an important responsibility. More than 40 percent of programme resources going directly to Women’s Rights Organizations means the grant system will need clear standards for selection, implementation, reporting and accountability.
The success of the investment will depend not simply on how much money reaches organizations but on whether those resources translate into stronger local advocacy, greater participation of women, improved conflict prevention and better access to justice and protection.
The five counties selected for implementation provide a diverse geographical and social setting for the programme. Montserrado includes the country’s largest urban population, while Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and Grand Cape Mount have communities with distinct histories and cross border, peacebuilding and social cohesion concerns.
The inclusion of cross border women traders among the stakeholders at the launch also points to the economic and social dimensions of women’s participation. Women involved in cross border commerce can face challenges related to security, mobility, economic opportunity and access to institutions.
GPI 2.0’s emphasis on women’s leadership and participation therefore has implications beyond formal political positions. It also concerns the ability of women to participate meaningfully in community decision making, economic activities, peacebuilding and governance.
Minister Horace Kollie said the programme provides another strategic opportunity to translate Liberia’s national commitments on gender equality, women’s rights, peacebuilding, justice and social protection into concrete interventions.
That opportunity will depend on whether the partnership between government, UN agencies and civil society remains focused on community level results.
For Women’s Rights Organizations, the US$3 million programme creates an opportunity to expand their capacity and influence. For government institutions, it creates an opportunity to strengthen systems that respond to gender related concerns. For communities, the expectation is that the investment will produce practical improvements rather than remain concentrated within programme structures.
The three year timeline also provides room for progress to be measured over time. Organizations receiving sub grants can be assessed on the outcomes of their interventions, while government institutions can be evaluated on whether gender responsive approaches become part of routine planning, budgeting and accountability.
The real test will be whether women who have historically been excluded from decision making gain greater influence, whether survivors receive stronger pathways to justice and support, and whether communities become better equipped to prevent conflict and resolve disputes peacefully.
GPI 2.0 therefore places women’s organizations in a central position in Liberia’s next phase of peacebuilding and gender reform. Its US$3 million investment offers resources, but the programme’s credibility will depend on what those resources produce.
As implementation begins, the challenge is to ensure that the promised investment reaches capable organizations, strengthens community action and produces measurable results for women and vulnerable people across the five selected counties.
The launch has set the framework. The next question is whether the programme can turn that framework into lasting change where it matters most, in the communities and institutions where Liberian women are demanding a greater voice in shaping their country’s future.
