Gender inequality in Liberia

The extent of gender inequalities varies throughout Liberia in regard to status, region, rural/urban areas, and traditional cultures.

[1] Despite the progress of Liberia's economy since the end of its second civil war in 2003, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world today with high levels of poverty and deprivation, exacerbated by economic crises and increasing food prices.

Women are held back in society by biases in education, health care, land ownership, and credit, along with cultural practices like pre-arranged marriages and female genital mutilation.

The traditional role of women as caregivers in Liberian society is an example of Martha Nussbaum's idea of a resource-based approach, favoring protection of the status quo.

[4] After the UN signed the peace treaty with Liberia in 2003, the gender roles that restricted women from achieving equality began to change.

In comparison to other countries affected by wars, women in Liberia have been successful in making their voices heard in politics despite male resistance.

[5] In terms of women in politics, Liberia had elected their first female president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2006, a step toward progress in a developing country.

[6] Recently, the National Institute for Public Opinion (NIPO) has raised awareness of women empowerment and equality through organizing the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence.

Through this month long campaign, it brought awareness to the legalities women were entitled to both nationally and internationally as well as female participation in politics and policy making.

[7] While there has been some progress, in order to fulfill the MDG development goal of promoting gender equality and empowering women there are still some areas to improve on such as addressing the gender discrimination in law, unequal job opportunities and wage gaps as well as a lack of equal women's participation in decision making.

After the Second Liberian Civil War, the International Rescue Committee reported that it had assisted almost 1,000 women and girls who had suffered gender-based violence in Montserrado County.

[11] Post-War Gender Violence Outcome After the wars ended, the opening ceremony of the peace negotiations was held on June 4, 2003 in Ghana, Liberia.

Despite Liberia passing the Rape Amendment Act in 2006 to impose stricter punishments and offering no bail to accused rapists, it was found that many women's groups had never even seen the new law.

In a 1998 survey of 106 women in Monrovia accused of being an ethnic group or faction member- 61% reported being beaten, locked up, strip searched, or raped.

The civil wars led to a decrease in female genital mutilation due to upheaval of life in rural areas, but the practice is still common.

"[19] "Illiteracy, moreover, is strongly linked, as I have already argued, to other forms of injustice: domestic violence without exit options and unequal political and employment opportunities.

[23] For people living in indigenous/rural areas there are many reasons for low levels of education including, limited access to schools, curriculum not being seen as relevant for rural life, the expense of sending children to urban areas for school, the belief that education will alienate their children from cultural values and in the case of girls, the belief that modern careers favor men.

Even finding accurate numbers on maternal mortality is difficult because most cases go unreported, along with problems recording traditional births.

[33] In 2004 the United Nations Development Program gave Liberia $24 million in funding to aid in the treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS, many of which were victims of sexual violence.

As women become more educated, they take charge of decisions affecting their lives that once may have been made by their husbands, family members, or by social norms.

Women helped to end the Second Liberian Civil War with the Mass Action for Peace Movement in 2003 led by Leymah Gbowee.

In uncivilized [editorializing] Grebo families, women do the majority of the work in the fields, hoeing, planting seed, weeding, harvesting and processing crops.

[48] Civilized [editorializing]Grebo culture revolves around a dual-sex system, there are prestigious positions with political functions for women and men.

The dual-sex system allows for two town chiefs, one man and one woman, both are more independently elected, sharing no family ties.