The Informer (Monrovia)
6 November 2009
Voinjama — At least 60 persons have received sound knowledge of what their human rights values are, and the rights of others in Voinjama District, Lofa County.
Representatives from six major towns in the district gathered in Voinjama City from November 2-3 to participate in an intensive human rights and democracy workshop, the Zorzor District Women Care (ZODWOCA)-a local rural women rights organization-said.
"More citizens in Voinjama District can now boast of acquiring human rights knowledge, as ZODWOCA continues to spread the crusade to many parts of the rural area," the NOG's executive director Agnes F. Kortimai said.
Mrs. Kortimai said respect for human rights was very cardinal in a post war country like Liberia, especially if peace, stability and development must be maintained.
"This is why," Mrs. Kortimai said, "we are trying our outmost best to the spread the crusade of human rights and democratic values to all parts of Lofa County, with support from the National Endowment for Democracy [NED] that is working to promote democracy and human rights in the world including Liberia."
The NED-sponsored project has the objective of strengthening the rights of rural women, and enhancing their participation in local and national politics.
Participants, who benefited from the two-day exercise, mostly community leaders, were drawn from several towns including Voinjama city itself.
Giving an overview of the project, acting ZODWOCA's Executive Director Mono G. Kollie noted that NED, through ZODWOCA, has been fully supporting the rural women's rights project for several years now.
Giving an overview of the project, Mrs. Kortimai told the gathering that NED, through ZODWOCA, has been fully supporting the rural women's rights project for several years now.
"We began this project in the Miamu Displaced camp in Bong County several years back; we have completed Zorzor District last year and we are now here in Voinjama District holding the third workshop; as soon as we finish this district we will move to another part of the county-as long as our partner supports us."
She disclosed that the American organization partnered with ZODWOCA to reach out to hundreds of war-affected women in the Maimu Displaced Camps and also three clans in Zorzor District.
She explained that women, particularly, suffered the brunt of the 14-year Liberian civil war as many of them were targets of sexual slavery and abuse and other human rights violations.
She said the people, both men and women, youth and adults need to be educated about their rights and the rights of others, as well as the roles and responsibilities they have in a democratic society-"to avoid us slipping into the bloody past."
Mrs. Kortimai then called on the participants, especially women, to get set to fully participate in the 2011 general and presidential elections of Liberia, "Because it is your rights to participate and run for any office you feel you can serve."
"The days when our male counterparts dominated our lives, the decision-making process in home, community and the world at large are over," the ZODWOAC Boss continued. "The world, today, is gender sensitive, so get ready to run as mayor, as town and clan chiefs and so forth in 2011."
The success of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Liberia's-and by extension Africa's-first democratically female elected president has brought great change about females' participation in national decision-making in a male-dominant society like Liberia.
Facilitators of the workshop provided basic education on the Inheritance and Rape laws of Liberia, human rights as enshrined in the Liberian Constitution, democratic rights and responsibilities of a citizen, peace building, sexual and gender-based violence and peace building.
The workshop should have been held outside Voinjama city, but due bad abs inaccessible road conditions, participants were invited to Voinjama City, Momo G. Kollie, ZODWOCA's Financial Officer, said.
Participants, at the end of the workshop, applauded ZODWOCA's initiative to take human rights education to them. According to the head of the woman at the workshop, Mama Younger, they have achieved a lot and would apply the knowledge gained.
She described the quarterly workshop in their district as "an eye-opener for us to see and do things we did not know in the past."
Old man Yakpazuo, speaking on behave of chiefs of participating towns, commended NED for supporting ZDOWOCA to reach them with what he called "modern ideas".
He said "Our women are now getting enlightened to join us in discussing issues that affect the community. We did not give them the chance in the past, but things are now changing, because of your 'new ideas'."
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