Liberia: House Speaker Koon Pledges Action On Rural Women's Land Rights

11 August 2025
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Francis G. Boayue

Monrovia — House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has vowed to champion legislative reforms aimed at empowering rural women and strengthening land rights across Liberia. His pledge came after receiving the 2024 Rural Women Land Rights Day (RWLRD) Report, a comprehensive document detailing the persistent challenges and recommendations for change.

The report, presented by a coalition of partners led by ForumCiv on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Capitol Building, calls on the government to take concrete action to address the structural barriers preventing rural women from owning and benefiting from land. The coalition includes influential groups such as ActionAid Liberia, among others.

A Call to Action

During the presentation, Speaker Koon praised the collaborative effort behind the report, acknowledging that while the 2018 Land Rights Act was a significant step forward, its promise has yet to be fully realized for many rural women.

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"This report captures the experiences, challenges, and victories of Liberia's rural women in their fight for justice, equity, and dignity through land rights," Speaker Koon stated. "Today is not merely a ceremonial occasion--it is a call to action."

The report highlights several key obstacles, including: Customary practices that continue to marginalize women and people with disabilities, Lack of financial support and access to loans for rural women to make their land productive, Inefficient land dispute resolution systems and limited decentralization of the Liberia Land Authority, and Under-resourced community-level dispute resolution mechanisms.

In response, Speaker Koon endorsed several of the report's key recommendations, signaling his intent to push for their implementation. These include establishing an Agricultural Bank to provide financial support to rural farmers, especially women, strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes and passing the ADR Act, increasing the budgetary allocation for the Liberia Land Authority to expand its presence and services across the country.

"We must move from policy discussions to concrete actions," the Speaker declared. "As Speaker, I commit to working with my colleagues in the 55th Legislature to implement these recommendations and ensure no Liberian is left behind."

Agnes M. Kormon, program manager for ForumCiv, thanked the Speaker for his unwavering support, noting that the report's ultimate goal is to assist marginalized women in reclaiming their right to land ownership.

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