Africa-Press – Liberia. In commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child 2025, the United Nations in Liberia, through UN Women, hosted an Intergenerational Dialogue at the Kofi Annan Conference Room, One UN House, Sinkor, Monrovia, on Monday, October 13, 2025.
The event, held under the global theme: “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” brought together adolescent girl leaders, civil society representatives, youth advocates, and development partners, including Plan International Liberia.
In a symbolic gesture, Miss Jophelia Quayee, President of the Children’s Voice (under the Voice of the Voiceless for Advocacy and Development), served as the Acting Country Representative of UN Women Liberia for the day temporarily taking over the role from Madam Comfort Lamptey, UN Women’s substantive Country Representative.
Girls Take Over Leadership
Miss Quayee, who recently represented Liberia at the Regional Adolescent Girls’ Conference in Dakar, Senegal, described the experience as life changing and empowering. She reflected on her time at the summit, where she learned about common challenges faced by girls across Africa, including poverty, limited access to education, and gender based discrimination.
“It’s not about competition who is smarter or who speaks better,” Miss Quayee said. “It’s about time we work together as a team to create a safer space for everyone, where girls and boys alike can thrive free from fear and full of hope.”
Expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to act as UN Women’s Country Representative for a day, Miss Quayee shared, “Sitting in Madam Comfort’s seat was a dream come true. I thought the job was easy, but now I understand the level of responsibility it carries. I truly appreciate UN Women Liberia for this empowering experience.”
She also used the platform to call on the Government of Liberia to ensure greater inclusion of adolescent girls and girls with physical disabilities in education and leadership programs, emphasizing that “physically challenged girls are smart, talented, and have much to contribute to society if given the right support.”
Comfort Lamptey: Empowering Girls Is Investing in Peaceful Societies
In her welcoming remarks, Madam Comfort Lamptey, commended the young leaders for their courage, resilience, and growing advocacy efforts.
“This year’s celebration focuses on empowering girls as leaders and change makers, particularly in the face of global crises,” she stated. “We are proud to see young women like Jophelia taking charge and showing that girls can lead.”
Madam Lamptey highlighted the progress made since the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), which first placed the girl child on the global agenda, while acknowledging that more work remains to be done to address challenges such as teenage pregnancy, early marriage, drug abuse, and gender-based violence.
She further reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to two of the global “Beijing+30 Action Agendas”: Ending violence against women and girls, and investing in young women and girls as the next generation of leaders.
“When we invest in girls, we build peaceful communities and prosperous societies,” Lamptey said. “Your voices matter, and your leadership today is shaping the future of Liberia.”
Youth Voices Call for Inclusion and Equality
Other young participants, including Sampson W. Tweh of Let Us Learn Organization, Mai Wiakanty of Buddy Club, and Victoria Miazee, founder of Impact Youth for Tomorrow, shared their experiences from the Dakar conference. They emphasized the need for gender equality, male allyship, and adolescent participation in policy formulation.
Miss Miazee, who moderated a panel on Public Finance and Budgeting at the Dakar summit, called for adolescent girls and youth with disabilities to be included in decision-making and project design processes.
“You can’t say you’re doing something for us without us,” she emphasized. “Adolescent girls must be part of the design, implementation, and monitoring of national projects.”
Mentorship and Continued Advocacy
Addressing the participants’ questions, Madam Lamptey encouraged the girls to seek mentorship and continue building networks with peers and older women to strengthen intergenerational solidarity.
“Mentorship is key,” she advised. “Seek out women who can guide and inspire you. As leaders, don’t only take opportunities for yourselves open doors for other girls, especially those in rural areas.”
She further reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to two of the global “Beijing+30 Action Agendas”: Ending violence against women and girls, and investing in young women and girls as the next generation of leaders.
“When we invest in girls, we build peaceful communities and prosperous societies,” Lamptey said. “Your voices matter, and your leadership today is shaping the future of Liberia.”
Youth Voices Call for Inclusion and Equality
Other young participants, including Sampson W. Tweh of Let Us Learn Organization, Mai Wiakanty of Buddy Club, and Victoria Miazee, founder of Impact Youth for Tomorrow, shared their experiences from the Dakar conference. They emphasized the need for gender equality, male allyship, and adolescent participation in policy formulation.
Miss Miazee, who moderated a panel on Public Finance and Budgeting at the Dakar summit, called for adolescent girls and youth with disabilities to be included in decision-making and project design processes
“You can’t say you’re doing something for us without us,” she emphasized. “Adolescent girls must be part of the design, implementation, and monitoring of national projects.”
Mentorship and Continued Advocacy
Addressing the participants’ questions, Madam Lamptey encouraged the girls to seek mentorship and continue building networks with peers and older women to strengthen intergenerational solidarity.
“Mentorship is key,” she advised. “Seek out women who can guide and inspire you. As leaders, don’t only take opportunities for yourselves open doors for other girls, especially those in rural areas.”
She reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting youth-led advocacy and leadership development, noting that “empowered girls today become empowered women tomorrow.”
About the Day
The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated globally every October 11 to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face. This year’s commemoration in Liberia spotlighted the leadership of adolescent girls and their vital role in driving inclusive social change.
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
