The NEWS (Monrovia)
Sheriff Z. Adams
26 June 2008
Monrovia — A new survey conducted by the Liberian Coalition of NGOs (LICONGO) in collaboration with Amnesty International (AI) has revealed that most ex-female fighters did not disarm during the DDRR process because their weapons were seized by their commanders.
David Shullun, a staff of AI based in Canada, who worked along with Liberian NGOs, told newsmen yesterday that the survey showed some of the women were either raped, used as sex slaves or cooks for the various factional groups.
He said based on interviews and interactions with women who took up arms during the war, it was discovered that some of them were excluded from the DDRR process.
Mr. Shullun indicated that ex-female fighters were frightened by information from their commanders that if they disarmed, they would be black listed by the UN and risk losing the opportunity of traveling to the United States in the future.
The survey was a follow-up to a report released early this year that women and girls were discriminated against during the DDRR process.
The report discovered that a total of at least 25,000 women and girls were associated with all fighting forces, and that majority were forced to participate in the war, although some opted to take up arms to protect themselves against sexual violence and to avenge the deaths of family members.
"I know 14 years of civil war is not easy, but I see in the minds of Liberian women the desire to move forward and take control of their future," Shullun indicated.
He observed that some of the women and girls need skill training and economic empowerment. Quoting the report, he pointed out that many of the women are jobless, without skills and depend on friends for accommodation.
The AI official said Liberian women deserve every support to ensure that they take charge of their destiny.
Thompson Adebiyor, Executive Director for the Liberia Watch for Human Rights commended Shullun for the brief visit to Liberia.
He praised AI and the Liberian Coalition of NGOs for their cordiality to ensure the success of the survey.
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