Moving Forward: Liberia`s Achievements in Engendering Security Sector Reform
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22 September 2008: Moving Forward: Liberia’s Achievements in Engendering Security Sector Reform
For a country that experienced fourteen years of violent conflict, Liberia has made great progress in addressing gender in its security sector reform process.
The emerging security sector reform discourse remains largely blind to issues of gender and women’s security. The security needs of women, girls and marginalised men and boys are often neglected. Meanwhile violence against women remains one of the largest global threats to the security of women, with security sector institutions falling short in the prevention of and response to these crimes. Security sector institutions, policies and personnel are themselves often a direct threat to the security of women and girls. In addition, cultures of violence and oppressive gender roles have resulted in high rates of sexual violence perpetuated by military and police officials.
Indeed, women’s engagement in democratic governance, economic and security activities and conflict resolution is essential for effective and sustainable peace building, especially in post-conflict societies. Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) recognises this and mandates UN member states to ensure that women take part in every aspect of the peace process. However, this is made difficult for women due to various factors, including the threat or experience of sexual and gender based violence. Women’s security is thus essential, not only for their well-being, but also for their effective participation in peace building and nation building.
The responsibility for the protection of women’s right to security falls on a number of institutions: police, courts, immigration, correctional services, the legislative as well as on civil society organisations. The latter is focused on accountability and oversight. Thus a holistic approach to women-friendly practices in the security sector is needed, bringing together the different actors within the security environment.
After the successful resolution of fourteen years of war, Liberia, as the first African country to elect a female Head of State, has shown clear willingness to break with the past. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf leads a government that has shown substantial commitment towards enhancing women’s security as an integral component of promoting gender equality and women’s rights. In collaboration with the UN mission in Liberia, the government has initiated efforts at gender sensitive security sector reform through the establishment of women and children’s units within the police as well as gender training of the police force. These actions have been supported by strengthening the legal framework for protection against sexual and gender based violence through the passing of laws on rape and inheritance, as well as developing a national Plan of Action to address gender based violence.
On 26 March 2008, the government of Liberia, in a high level strategic meeting, considered taking a more aggressive approach to ensure that gender needs are met in its security sector reform. During this strategic meeting, the Ministry of Justice created an implementation plan which will operationalize several of the priorities identified in the Poverty Reduction Strategy and feed into the finalisation and implementation of the national Security Sector Policy.
A number of suggestions were discussed such as each sector within the ministry formulating a gender action plan. An accelerated learning programme of the Liberian National Police so that more women are able to apply for positions, was also suggested. The military, immigration and customs should equally address infrastructural needs. Courts, prisons and police stations as necessary could provide gender training and women friendly practices training for officers of the security sector institutions. The support of fast track mechanisms for sexual and gender based violence cases to go through court (Special Court D) is another suggestion. Providing paralegal training, free legal aid to the poor and vulnerable; undertaking study visits to other African countries to learn from best practices and finding innovative ways to see how such practices might fit into the Liberian context can also be done. Finally providing housing projects for correction officers with proximity to their workplace, and provision of separate quarters for suspects and prisoners were suggested.
However despite this progress, the war on women’s bodies has not ended in Liberia. Rape, trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as domestic violence remain key security concerns for women and girls in Liberia. This is addressed in Liberia’s newly developed Poverty Reduction Strategy. Among gender specific priorities is the goal to “reinforce the initiative to realize 20% women participation in the military and various security agencies” under the Security pillar as well as “establish a policy and operational framework to ensure gender justice and equality are core values within the legal and judicial system” under the governance and rule of law pillar. Other priorities relate to ensuring protection of women and other vulnerable groups within the justice system, especially during detention. The Poverty Reduction Strategy also prioritizes the capacity of the legal and justice system to address sexual and gender based violence survivors as rape is currently the most common crime in Liberia.
In conclusion, the achievements of Liberia demonstrate that in order for a post conflict country to effectively engender security reform, there is no one single approach. Addressing rights of women is deeper than the mere presence of women in high positions within the executive, legislature and judiciary. A participatory approach is necessary to ensure that both the needs of men and women are considered in any security sector reform for national ownership and implementation, contributing to national unity and cohesion in a post-conflict society.
Sandra Oder, Senior Researcher, Training for Peace Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)
