The Ministry of National Defense (MoD), with support from UN Women, has launched a week-long awareness campaign across western Liberia aimed at increasing the recruitment of women into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), as part of a broader effort to promote gender equality and strengthen female representation within the country's security sector.
The campaign seeks to educate women and girls about career opportunities in the military while dispelling long-standing misconceptions that military service is exclusively for men. It also forms part of the government's commitment to advancing gender inclusion in line with Liberia's national development agenda and international commitments on women's empowerment.
Speaking at the launch, the Acting Director of the Department of Gender and Social Inclusion at the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces of Liberia, Miss Toukpor M. Richards, said the initiative is designed to encourage more qualified women to consider careers in the military by providing accurate information about the opportunities available within the AFL.
"This awareness campaign is designed to help women understand that the Armed Forces of Liberia offers equal opportunities for qualified Liberians, regardless of gender," Richards said. "We want women to see the military as a place where they can build meaningful careers while serving their country."
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Richards revealed that the Ministry has set a target of increasing women's representation in the Armed Forces to 40 percent by 2030 under its gender inclusion policy.
"Our goal is to increase women's participation in the AFL to 40 percent by 2030. We believe that greater inclusion of women will strengthen our security institutions and improve national development," she added.
As part of the campaign, Ministry officials engaged rural women in Bomi County, female students at Western Region University, and other young women through focus group discussions and interactive awareness sessions. Participants received information about military recruitment requirements, career opportunities, and the important role women can play in national defense.
Richards urged women not to allow traditional stereotypes to discourage them from pursuing careers in the security sector.
"The Armed Forces is not only about combat," she said. "There are opportunities in administration, engineering, medicine, communications, logistics, education, and many other professional fields. Women have the ability and the right to serve their nation in every capacity."
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Discussions also emphasized the vital contributions women make to peacebuilding, conflict prevention, leadership, and national security. Officials noted that expanding female participation in the AFL would help build a more professional, inclusive, and effective military capable of responding to Liberia's evolving security challenges.
The outreach campaign is expected to continue in other counties across western Liberia, where the Ministry and its partners will engage community leaders, youth organizations, educational institutions, and women's groups to encourage greater female participation in the Armed Forces.
Currently, women account for only a small percentage of personnel within the Armed Forces of Liberia, reflecting a wider gender imbalance that exists across many security institutions in the country. The Ministry of National Defense has been working with UN Women and other development partners to address these disparities through nationwide awareness campaigns, community engagement, and policies designed to remove barriers preventing women from pursuing military careers.
The latest campaign underscores the government's continued efforts to build a more representative security sector, recognizing that greater participation by women can strengthen operational effectiveness, improve community trust, and contribute to sustainable peace and national development.
