-- Rural women's groups in Bomi County are accusing the county's gender coordinator of politically manipulating recruitment for a $44.6 million World Bank-backed women's empowerment project, alleging that established grassroots organizations have been shut out while favored individuals are brought in.
Leaders of multiple village savings and loan associations across the county have accused County Gender Coordinator Miatta Monger of unfairly excluding their groups from the initiative, which is being implemented through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and is intended to uplift women economically across Liberia.
One women's group leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had gone to Monger seeking clarity on her group's eligibility and received an answer that contradicted earlier public messaging about the project's reach.
"She told us the project is not for women in towns and villages, but for those in the city," the leader said.
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The claim has ignited frustration across communities including Kamada Town, where women say they had mobilized in anticipation of the program only to find themselves excluded without explanation.
"We feel ignored," another group leader said. "These are the opportunities we've been waiting for to grow our businesses and support our families."
Monger, reached by telephone, acknowledged that some communities including Kamada Town were not captured in the current phase of the project but distanced herself from responsibility for the exclusions, saying the recruitment process was already underway when she assumed her post.
"I met the process already ongoing," she said.
That explanation has not satisfied the affected groups. Several women leaders dispute her account, saying they have personally witnessed her involvement in recruitment activities. Some allege that participation has been determined by political affiliation, a claim that, if substantiated, would directly undermine the integrity of a project designed to reach Liberia's most economically vulnerable women.
Affected groups are now calling on the Government of Liberia and its international partners to investigate the implementation process in Bomi County and ensure transparency and fairness in beneficiary selection. Some leaders have warned of unspecified political consequences if their concerns go unaddressed.
The controversy arrives at a critical moment for the initiative. A project valued at $44.6 million and backed by the World Bank risks losing credibility among the very communities it was designed to serve before it has fully taken root.
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