The Executive Director of the Zorzor District Women Care Inc (ZODWOCA) has told women in the country that there remains a serious challenge in the emancipation of women from male-dominance in policy and decision-making in Liberia.

Mrs. Agnes Flomo-Kortimai said though some progress has been made with Liberia currently having a woman-president, much is yet to be done to have more women representation at all levels of leadership in both public and the private sectors.

She said women are still being marginalized and excluded, especially in rural areas of the country, when it comes to decision and policy-making.

"We still have and face big challenges; we have to collectively rise to these challenges and play the roles expected of us," Mrs. Kortimai told two separate groups of women in Lofa County, when her organization conducted two 2-day workshop on women right in Kornia and Salayea towns.

"We have to be steadfast, we have to possess our possession and to form a united front in addressing issues that affect the progress of women in this country," Mrs. Kortimai told participants during the two separate workshops.

The workshop in Salayea (August 12-13) pulled together about 95 participants while the one on Kornia (August 14-15) gathered 105 participants, predominantly women from towns and villages around two host towns.

The workshop was a sequel to an African Women Development Fund (AWDF) project under which ZODWOCA has provided micro loans to over 100 women.

Mrs. Kortimai said the grant provided by AWDF has two components: to provide a revolving loan to the rural women (which has already been done) and, to train/educate women on human rights issues such as their rights in politics and democratic processes among others.

"We have to form a united front, a united goal and a focus. We have to be able speak out against ills, especially when women are offended," Mrs. Kortimai challenged her colleagues, calling on them to partake in community and national politics.

"You have the rights to be a town chief, to be a paramount chief, to be a superintendent, to be a representative, to be a senator and any other position in government and in your communities," the Executive Director urged.

Topics such as the Inheritance law of Liberia, human right under the Liberian Constitution, confronting gender and sexual based violence, women's participation in democratic process, among others, were treated at the two workshops.

Mrs. Kortimai said ZODWOCA will remain committed to working with women, mainly those in rural parts of the country, to ensure they understand their rights.

"We started this campaign long ago, we are still on it, and we will not stop here," she said, adding, "As long as we get support from our partners, we will continue to educate you, our people, particularly our women, to rise from the shackles of marginalization."

ZODWOCA, a rural women rights organization established 2004, has been in the business of promoting women rights and empowering them through microloan and skills training programs since its establishment.

Meanwhile participants at the two workshops, through their spokespersons, have commended ZODWOCA for the knowledge provided them.

They also lauded AWDF for its support to ZODWOCA, especially for the micro loan program which has empowered them.

They called for continuation of such programs as they tend to make them live sustainable lives.

Before 2003, ZODWOCA worked in six counties including Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Montserrado, Margibi and Gbarpolu, but scaled down to Lofa and Bong after the war subsided in 2004.

It further scaled down activities to Lofa since 2007 due to funding gaps.