Assistant Gender, Children & Social Protection Minister, Ophelia J.S. Kennedy, says the launch of the Gender Policy by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI), marks a transformative journey that recognizes gender equality, not only as a fundamental human right, but a cornerstone for economic development.

Madam Kennedy added that the decision represents the Commerce Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that equality and empowerment remain central and a future where everyone contributes and benefits from the services being provided regardless of any status. 

Speaking at the EJS Minister Complex in Congo Town Thursday during the official launch of the Gender Policy Document by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Madam Kennedy said the idea recognizes the historical barriers that have hindered gender equality in Liberia’s economic landscape. Deputizing for Gender, Children & Social Protection Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie, she called for workable strategies that will increase women’s participation in commerce and trade across Liberia, through access to finance, entrepreneurship and the development of their skills.

Assistant Minister Kennedy pointed out that for too long women have been excluded from active participation in the commerce of the country-expressing the need for the newly launched Gender Policy to take all of the factors into consideration through support networks for their empowerment. She also called on the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to prioritize data collection and analysis as it embarks on the implementation of the Gender Policy.

According to Madam Kennedy, doing so will enable the Commerce Ministry make informed decisions, measure the progress being made, identify gaps, progress and challenges and design pragmatic interventions to fill the gaps and mitigate challenges to be encountered.

The Assistant Gender, Children & Social Protection Minister also called for increased advocacy and awareness about the newly launched Gender Policy, if the Ministry must succeed in shifting societal norms and the narratives around women’s participation in commerce and trade-related matters. She lauded the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and partners for the initiative and pledged her institution’s continued collaboration in making the concept a resounding reality.

Also speaking, Commerce & Industry Minister, Magdalene Ellen Dagoseh, described the launch of the Ministry’s Gender Policy as an important milestone in Liberia’s collective journey toward an inclusive society. She said it also represents a roadmap designed to ensure that women, men and majority are at the center of Liberia’s economic and social progress. 

Developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection, Minister Dagoseh observed that the Policy seeks the creation of gender equity and an environment that is socially inclusive. Madam Dagoseh assured the public, mainly local and international partners that the Gender policy document would not be shelved, but shared with relevant institutions as a means of keeping them abreast of its provisions and to ensure full implementation through collaboration.

The Commerce & Industry Minister called for continued collaboration in order to break down barriers and eliminate gender-related discrimination in society. 

Madam Dagoseh lauded the Ministry’s partners, including UN Women, Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection and all other stakeholders for their participation in making the policy a reality.

For her part, UN Women Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey, hailed the launch of the Gender Policy. She said the decision demonstrates that the Ministry of Commerce & Industry attaches importance to gender-related issues.

Madam Lamptey added that she was moved to see woman minister at such an early stage of the launching ceremony. She pledged UN Women’s support to the initiative-adding that her organization stands with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry in such a worthy undertaking.

Madam Lamptey observed that it was important to also see some of the factors the policy touches, with respect to issues surrounding providing equal opportunities to women and men within the ministries, looking at addressing or creating an enabling environment for both women and men, etc. The UN Women Country Representative also said it was important to see the Policy align with international framework and Liberia’s commitment to gender equality.

Earlier in an introductory remark, the Deputy Minister for Commerce & Trade Services, Wilmont A.Reeves said many of the development practitioners have considered gender to be a social issue. 

According to Deputy Minister Reeves, the current environment does not just consider gender as a social issue, but development as well. He said based on the current realities; it has become imperative to include gender main streaming when development programs, projects and national plans are being formulated.

“A 2016 study done by UNDP basically tried to look at the productivity level of women that is lost and that we do not include in the development process of the different interventions that we design and it was realized that Africa was losing USD$105m only because we not considering gender as an important variable in the development process,” he pointed out.

Deputy Minister Reeves said he was glad that current development interventions are beginning to be gender sensitive and that such concept is being embraced by the current Senior Management Team at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

As established, gender inequality and inequity are prevalent in the Liberian society, as evidenced by the low participation of women in nearly all levels of decision making.