Ellen Promises Sexual Abuse Fight

The Analyst ( Monrovia)
NEWS
December 6, 2006
Posted to the web December 7, 2006

By Sallu Swaray

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has reaffirmed government's commitment to the fight against sexual exploitation and abuse in the country. She said her government was making efforts to stop sexual exploitations among the youths and to raise awareness of its negative impact on development in Liberia. She indicated that addressing sexual exploitations and abuse effectively require collective efforts by focusing on prevention, adding prevention is a crucial first approach in this pattern.

She noted that the significant part of preventing sexual exploitations and abuse involve outreach to various communities to re-exert a strong sense of national dignity and personal integrity. The President cautioned Liberians not to sell their bodies, stressing that those Liberians privileged to have achieved successes in business both at home and abroad must not use their wealth and power to sexually exploit children and women.

"We must constructively combine our efforts in the campaign against sexual exploitation and abuse to identify, prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse as a nation and as member of the international community", she noted. She intimated that sexual exploitation is damaging to any society, as it destroys relationship, families and the communities. She said the government also recognizes the fact that SEA is a form of gender based violence.

The President made the statement in the wake of a national campaign against sexual exploitation and abuse launched on Monday at the Monrovia City Hall to mark a week- long awareness on SEA. The campaign was organized by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender & Development in collaboration with UNMIL and other stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Gender and Development Minister, Madam Varbah Gayflor, led the Task Force on Gender Base Violence

Zero Tolerance Is The Norm Against Sexual Abuse And Exploitation, Says UNMIL's Boss Alan Doss

Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia’s government, together with national and international partners, today launched a national campaign to combat Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) at the City Hall in Monrovia. To ensure the campaign reaches all of Liberia, simultaneous launch programmes were held in several parts of the country.

Kicking off the national campaign, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in a special message re-affirmed her commitment to the fight against SEA and its consequences in Liberia. “To address SEA effectively requires our collective efforts, with a particular focus on prevention; prevention is a crucial first step in this battle.” The President urged privileged and successful Liberians and members of the international community “not to misuse your wealth and power to sexually exploit children and women.”

Reiterating the commitment of the United Nations to combat Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Special Representative of the Secretary-General Alan Doss said that the purpose of the campaign is to make clear that SEA is unacceptable. “In a post-conflict situation where people are striving to restore their dignity and self-pride and in which the Rule of Law and basic social and cultural institutions may still be fragile, SEA represents a gross violation of the survivor’s human rights,” the SRSG said.

He added, “Zero-tolerance is the norm. We have a duty of care as UN staff to help the people of Liberia and not contribute to the trauma they have suffered; this is why we must be part of the solution and not a cause of the problem.”

Mr. Doss, accompanied by Deputy Special Representative Jordan Ryan, outlined a number of measures implemented by the United Nations to combat SEA. In addition to monthly meetings with senior military, police and civilian colleagues to address the issue of SEA and to ensure that the message of zero tolerance goes out very clearly to all UNMIL staff, SRSG Doss said that the UN has implemented mandatory training and awareness for all UN staff as well as community outreach activities. He stressed the importance of working with communities to prevent children being abused and women being brought into camps. “There will be no cover up within UNMIL for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” he stressed.

Welcoming the invitees to the launch, the Minister of Gender and Development, Varbah Gayflor, pointed out that SEA is a major challenge that is having a very negative impact on Liberians. “We must create the necessary environment where all members of society, regardless of age or status have the opportunity to lead a life of dignity and fulfillment,” she said.

Planned under the leadership of the Ministry of Gender and Development, the SEA campaign is a collaborative campaign between the Liberian government, the United Nations, international and national NGOs and civil society organizations. A week of activities including sports, musical and cultural events will lead into a year of awareness raising aimed at sensitizing the Liberian people and international partners on the prevention of SEA.