Twenty-five women leaders drawn from administrative and electoral districts across River Cess County have successfully completed a one-day Interest-Based Negotiation (IBN) Training of Trainers (ToT) exercise in Yarpah Town, one of the project communities under the Liberia Women’s Empowerment Project (LWEP).
The training was implemented by Parley, an international organization contracted under the World Bank Trust Fund, as part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of women groups, individuals and project beneficiaries to engage effectively in negotiations related to natural resource management.
Interest-Based Negotiation (IBN) is a collaborative negotiation approach that moves beyond rigid positions to identify the underlying needs, concerns and interests of all parties.
The method promotes creative, win-win solutions that build trust, strengthen relationships, and support sustainable, long-term outcomes, in contrast to traditional adversarial bargaining models.
As part of project oversight and quality assurance, representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) and the LWEP Project Management Unit visited Yarpah Town to observe the Training of Trainers session facilitated by Parley Liberia.
The Liberia Women’s Empowerment Project is targeting 36,000 beneficiaries under its cash grant program implemented through Component Three, which focuses on promoting resilient livelihood activities across 498 communities in six counties.
Implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, with support from the World Bank, LWEP aims to strengthen women’s social and economic empowerment, particularly in forested counties and natural resource-dependent communities.
The project is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, reflecting the Government of Liberia’s commitment to advancing gender equality and inclusive development.