The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), in collaboration with the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) and with funding from UN Women Liberia, is implementing the Enhancing Citizens’ Participation in Local Governance Project to strengthen inclusive, accountable and participatory local governance in Liberia.
The project focuses particularly on increasing the meaningful participation and influence of women and other citizens in local governance and decision-making processes. It creates opportunities for citizens to engage local authorities, raise community priorities, demand accountability and contribute to decisions affecting their communities.
Through community engagement, capacity strengthening, dialogue and advocacy, the project supports women and community stakeholders to better understand local governance structures, their rights and responsibilities, and the mechanisms available for engaging duty-bearers. It also promotes stronger interaction between citizens and local authorities to improve transparency, responsiveness and accountability at the local level.
A key emphasis of the initiative is ensuring that women are not only present in local governance spaces but are able to meaningfully contribute to decisions, influence local development priorities and hold leaders accountable. The project also contributes to strengthening collaboration among women-led organizations, civil society actors, community leaders and local government authorities.
Through this partnership with CENTAL and support from UN Women Liberia, WONGOSOL continues to advance women’s leadership and civic participation while promoting a more inclusive and accountable system of local governance in Liberia.