Boakai Speaks Out Against GBV

Former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, has added his voice to the alarming increase of gender based-violence in the country, and has provided some solutions to the national government, stakeholders and parents so as to adequately address what he called “serious threat to the wellbeing of women and children in the country”.

Mr. Boakai made his concern known yesterday, Thursday, March 10, 2022 when he addressed the press at his private office in the Rehab Community, Paynesville. He said GBV is on the rampage to destroy the womanhood.

The former Vice President said, “In 2021 alone, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection reported 1,637 cases; of this number, 56% were reports of sexual violence and 50% were child survivors with Montserrado County accounting for the majority.”

He continued: “We were also informed that of the rape cases reported, indictments were drawn for 6.23% of the cases, 3.60% of the cases were tried and 3.12% of the perpetrators were convicted. These are just for the cases that have been recorded and reported. Now imagine the actual number if all the ones that are handled “the family way” or not reported for fear of stigmatization or threats from the perpetrators were reported. Our women and children are indeed unprotected while the culture of impunity persists!”

Quoting more statistics, the UP presumed Standard-Bearer said: “In 2019, the Domestic Violence Act was signed into law; the President thereafter declared Rape a National Emergency and the National Road Map was carved in collaboration with civil society organizations. Despite all of these pronouncements and policy documents, rape continues to increase while perpetrators go with impunity. This is therefore a call for this government to take charge and be intentional and truthful about its declaration of Rape as a National Emergency. This government took oath to protect its citizens and that includes our women and children.”

Mr. Boakai said that in the last few weeks, there have been some reports of rape, including cases of a 4- and 6-year-old- raped together in Gbarpolu, a three-year-old and 2 year 9 months old. He said citizens sat and watched the future of these children being snatched and has done nothing, adding that rape is not only the women’s concern it is the concern of everyone.

“In addition to what the government can do and has failed to do, the men of Liberia have to take a stand in solidarity with our women and children beginning today,” he said. “I would also like to announce that The Joseph Nyuma Boakai Foundation will now add a new focus on making interventions and advocating for the protection of women and children against gender-based violence which will be coordinated by a committee I will set up. We will work closely with the women’s movement against gender-based violence and other civil society organizations to ensure this effort is impactful.”

He said in addition to rallying other men to join him and those who are already in the fight against gender-based violence, he was reiterating some of the suggestions that are continuously proffered by the mothers, sisters, wives and daughters every day beginning with setting of protocols and follow them meticulously as is done with all national public health emergencies, and that is to increase budgetary allocations to the Women & Child Protection Unit of the Liberia National Police in order to increase its capacity and adequately fund the SGBV Unit, at the Ministry of Justice, to enable it to respond and win sexual gender-based violence cases.

Other recommendations he proffered include to ensure that safe homes across the country that respond to survivors are functional and supported, Increase the number of Judges in the Circuit Court E and educate our women and families on the danger of rape to the victims’ future.

“In previous communications, I have said, over and again, that the people of Liberia ought to rise up and demand that justice be done. It is unjust for our babies as young as three and two years old, our girls, our women and young boys to go through these kinds of traumatic experiences when we have the capability to stop what is happening.

“In conclusion, I call on the judiciary to dispense justice without fear or favor and to consider the current wave of rape cases in Liberia a matter of extreme national emergency, fast track cases, and bring the perpetrators before the law.”

Source: The Analyst News