From the Liberia Women Empowerment Project, ActionAid climaxes Local Stakeholders in Grand Cape Mount, Driving Social Change in Liberia’s Poorest Communities
Grand Cape Mount Project Orientation Workshop
“This project is coming to help change our women and families,” said Lenda Hawa Mendimasa, Coordinator for the Ministry of Gender in Cape Mount. “We’ve seen a high level of transparency in how this project will roll out, and we know how to report fraud or challenges. This builds trust and accountability.” Lena said.
In all these, ActionAid Liberia is driving social justice through community mobilization.
As part of a consortium of implementing partners, ActionAid Liberia is leading the implementation of Component One of LWEP, which focuses on community mobilization and transforming harmful social norms that fuel gender inequality. Using proven models such as Start Awareness Support Action (SASA), this component seeks to foster more gender-equitable communities and prevent gender-based violence from the grassroots.
Speaking on behalf of ActionAid Liberia’s Country Director, Women’s Rights Manager Madam Markonee Knightley emphasized the alignment between the LWEP and ActionAid’s broader vision.
reflects our strategic mission to advance social justice, gender equality, and economic rights for all, particularly in underserved and rural communities.”
The project orientation workshop reinforced the need for local ownership and responsible stewardship of resources. Madam Haja Magdalene Fahnbulleh, a former Commissioner of Cape Mount and a respected women’s advocate, called on beneficiaries, especially those engaged in the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), to practice transparency and reinvest in their communities when the funds are disbursed to beneficiary communities.
Component One focuses on fostering positive social norms and encouraging community mobilization. This part of the program is led by ActionAid Liberia. Component Two aims to improve access to basic services, particularly in health and education. It includes support for adolescent reproductive health and services related to gender-based violence (GBV).
Component Three is dedicated to promoting resilient livelihoods and economic empowerment. It places special emphasis on women-led initiatives, providing access to financial credit to help women enhance their small businesses and farming activities in a more sustainable way.
The ultimate goal is to lift them out of acute poverty. While component four, which focuses on strengthening institutional capacity to address gender inequality and collect gender-disaggregated data, will work with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of gender to provide disaggregated data in the two sectors; while five, the Project management, oversees, and monitors the LWEP project implementation.
The project is expected to impact over 267,000 people, with 36,000 individuals benefiting directly from livelihood grants.
ActionAid Liberia is working in consortium with Plan International Liberia and the Catholic Relief Services.
In a country where rural poverty and gender inequality remain deeply entrenched, the Liberia Women Empowerment Project offers a bold and structured pathway to sustainable change. Through strategic leadership in community mobilization and social norm transformation, ActionAid Liberia is not only implementing a project, but it is championing a movement for justice, equality, and dignity for all Liberians, regardless of gender or geography.