Africa-Press – Liberia. Women’s rights advocates and feminists, clad in black as a show of solemn solidarity, assembled at the Fish Market to mark the close of the global 16Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The gathering served not as an end, but as a renewed public declaration that the fight to protect women and girls in Liberia continues.
The women chanted, “We Are Unprotected,” standing in memory of women and girls who have been raped, subjected to domestic and sexual violence, and those who have lost their lives in the process. They were joined by the women of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a distinguished group of elderly peace advocates.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international movement rooted in civil society, which has since grown into a globally recognized organizing strategy to eliminate violence against women and girls. The campaign uses the color orange to represent a brighter future free from violence against women and girls, which is why landmarks and buildings around the world are often illuminated in orange during this period
A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Speakers emphasized that while the calendar event has ended, the commitment to advocacy remains a long-term campaign. “As we end the 16 days of Activism, the day itself climaxes and ends today, but the work doesn’t end,” said Ne-Suah Beyan Livingston, Founder and Executive Director of Rescue For Abandoned Children In Hardship (REACH).
Madam Livingston, a prominent voice for marginalized children, stressed that women and girls remain vulnerable in Liberia. “This is the beginning of a renewed fight until every girl is free, until every woman is free, and the rights of women and girls are protected in every county and everywhere in this country,” she asserted. “The fight is just beginning, and we recommit ourselves to this fight.”
The gathering was organized by the Amplifying Rights Network. Madam Naomi Tulay-Solanke, Executive Director of Community Health Initiative, echoed the sentiment, calling the work a “marathon.”
Launched by activists in 1991, the 16 Days of Activism was initiated at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute, which was coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL). The choice of dates was a deliberate and symbolic one, formulated as a response to the brutal 1960 assassination of the Mirabel sisters in the Dominican Republic. These sisters—Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa—were political activists murdered on the orders of dictator Rafael Trujillo and became powerful symbols of the feminist movement in Latin America. Start Date (November 25): The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. End Date (December 10): International Human Rights Day.
Renewed Intentionality
Advocates spoke on the history and future of their movement, noting the critical importance of Human Rights Day, which coincides with the final day of the 16 Days of Activism. Siatta Scott-Johnson, former President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), and founder of Women in Media Development, said the “We Are Unprotected” campaign, noted its 2018 inception: “We were yelling for our own protection. As we close today, it is Human Rights Day, and women’s rights are human rights.”
Fatumata Binta Sall, co-chairl of the Human Rights Defenders Network, urged attendees to maintain pressure: “I want to urge all of us that our advocacy does not end here today. It continues. I want to ask you to keep standing with us.”
Support from Partners and Elders
The event saw supportive messages from both international partners and grassroots leadership.
Dwede Tarpeh, Program Lead for Gender and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at the Embassy of Sweden, acknowledged the sustained efforts of the women: “It’s nice to see the women who have been here fighting to promote peace. I want to say a big thank you to the Amplifying Rights Network.”
Mah Korpo Dennis, President of Women Mass Action for Peace, offered a message of thanks to the younger generation of activists. Each year, the campaign adopts a different theme to focus global efforts on specific aspects of gender-based violence, such as digital violence, sustainable financing for prevention, and addressing the root causes of inequality. This year’s campaign was held under the theme “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”.
The meeting ended with a candle vigil for people who died as a result of gender based violence.
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