WONGOSOL and Partners Host National Dialogue on Women’s Leadership

The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, hosted a National Dialogue on Women’s Leadership in Local Governance and Peacebuilding on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Ministry’s Capitol Hill headquarters.

The dialogue, supported by the Government of Ireland and UN Women, afforded stakeholders an opportunity to review county-level evidence on progress, challenges and lessons related to women’s representation and influence in appointed local governance, traditional leadership and peacebuilding structures, and agree on practical national and county-level actions to increase women’s meaningful participation in local leadership across Liberia.

It brought together national and county stakeholders to review evidence from Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Grand Bassa, Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Nimba counties, where women leaders, Peace Hut members, and civil society organizations documented drivers of women’s advancement and persistent barriers to leadership.

Data presented at the event showed women leaders in the six counties increased from 66 to 95, a 44 percent rise. Grand Bassa recorded notable gains, with women now holding 56 percent of County Council seats and 50 percent of mayoral positions.

Lofa County now has a female Paramount Chief. However, the report revealed significant gaps remain. Women hold only 12 percent of local government appointments and 8 percent of chieftaincy positions across the counties.

Assistant Minister for Culture and Tradition William Jallah, proxying for the Local Government Minister, opened the dialogue with a welcome statement and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to advancing women’s participation. He noted that the ministry’s gender architecture has evolved from a single focal person to a gender desk and now to a full gender division, with women appointed to strategic posts.

Governance Commission Head Alaric Tokpah recommended constitutional reform to secure women’s participation, arguing that reliance on presidential goodwill is insufficient. He proposed specific legislative quotas for women within political parties.

From her end, Atty. Vivian Neal of the Office of the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court said the institution partnered with WONGOSOL and other women’s organizations because of the importance of women’s voices in the justice process.

The dialogue identified structural, cultural, and operational barriers limiting women’s influence, including harmful social norms, informal appointment practices that exclude women from transparent competition, weak institutional support, and financial inequity in traditional leadership resources.

Participants noted that representation alone does not guarantee influence, and gains are often lost between entry and sustained leadership. The report also documented that 153 women trained in transformative leadership recorded a 35 percent average increase in knowledge and skills.

Peace Hut members mediated 58 conflict cases across the six counties, addressing land rights, domestic violence, child support, and leadership disputes, despite operating without compensation. Two regional dialogues in March 2026 reached 60 male leaders from six counties, who made written commitments to champion women’s leadership and challenge harmful norms.

Thursday’s dialogue focused on translating those commitments into action, with priorities including improving appointment transparency, providing institutional support for women leaders, integrating Peace Huts into local peacebuilding coordination, and scaling lessons across Liberia.

The dialogue concluded with agreement on follow-up actions and accountability mechanisms, with the Ministry of Local Government and WONGOSOL jointly leading next steps. Thursday’s dialogue was organized under the Government of Ireland-funded project “Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Local Governance and Peacebuilding (2025–2028).”

The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL) is the leading women’s umbrella organization established in 1998 to coordinate and strengthen women-led organizations across Liberia. The institution advocates for women’s rights, gender equality, peacebuilding, justice, and inclusive governance throughout the country.