MONROVIA — The Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), in collaboration with its partners, has launched the “Liberia Fights FGM Project”, a major nationwide initiative aimed at combating female genital mutilation (FGM), supporting survivors, and strengthening protective services for women and girls across Liberia.
By Patience M. Jones, patience.jones@frontpageafrica.com
The project kickoff and symbolic turnover ceremony was held on Friday at WONGOSOL’s headquarters on 14th Street, Sinkor, bringing together representatives from UN Women/UN Trust Fund (UNTF), the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to ending violence against women and girls.
The project, funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF), runs from October 2023 to September 2026 with a total budget of US$748,490. It is being implemented by WONGOSOL in partnership with Sister Hands Liberia and six county-based implementing organizations.
Speaking at the ceremony, WONGOSOL Executive Director, Esther Davis, Yango welcomed guests and provided an overview of the initiative, emphasizing the organization’s mandate as the coordinating body of women’s groups in Liberia.
“As part of our mandate, we work closely with the Government of Liberia to create an equal environment for women and girls,” Yango said. “With funding from the UN Trust Fund and in close collaboration with UN Women Liberia, we are implementing the Liberia Fights FGM Project to contribute to ending violence against women in Liberia, specifically female genital mutilation.”
Yango noted that the project is being implemented in six counties: Bong, Margibi, Bomi, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, and Rural Montserrado. She said the initiative focuses on reducing the incidence of FGM through community engagement, advocacy, social norm change, and improved access to survivor-centered services.
According to her, the project is also supporting the Ministry of Gender and the Ministry of Health to strengthen national responses to FGM and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
A key highlight of the launch was the turnover of 623 Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Dignity Kits, far exceeding the original target of 100 kits planned under the project.
Yango explained that while the project initially intended to distribute 100 kits, WONGOSOL was able to scale up the intervention and provide 623 kits for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including FGM.
She also recalled that in the previous year, WONGOSOL distributed 300 dignity kits, underscoring the organization’s continued investment in survivor support.
“These kits are designed to restore dignity and provide immediate relief to survivors,” she said. “They are not only practical support packages but also a clear message that survivors are not alone.”
She disclosed that the project has already directly supported 15 survivors, in addition to assisting with safe rooms and referral pathways for women and girls transferred for care and protection.
Providing details of the items, WONGOSOL Project Officer Jeneba M. Vessellie explained that the organization prepared two different categories of dignity kits one tailored for children and younger survivors, and another for older survivors.
According to Vessellie, the kits for younger survivors include: Toothbrushes,Slippers (child-sized),Towels,Clothing,Soap,Sanitary and hygiene materials,Snacks and juice,Toys for comfort and emotional support
She noted that the inclusion of snacks and toys is particularly important because some survivors are very young sometimes as young as two or three years old and may be separated from their parents while receiving care at One Stop Centers.
The kits for older survivors contain similar essential items, including: Toothbrushes,Slippers,Towels,SoaClothing,Hygiene supplies,Other basic personal care items
Vessellie explained that clothing is especially important because survivors often need to change out of their original garments, which may be retained as part of medical or legal evidence.
“The only difference between the two packages is that one is specifically designed for younger survivors, with snacks and toys included, while the other is tailored to older survivors,” she said.
Vessellie said the first batch of kits will be distributed immediately to One Stop Centers in Montserrado County, including facilities such as: John F.
Kennedy Medical Center (JFK), Tappita-related referral sites/partner facilities mentioned during distribution briefing, Port of Hope for Women, Star of the Sea/West Point area support center, Redemption Hospital
She added that official distribution to the remaining five counties will begin next week, with each county’s One Stop Center receiving its share of the kits.
In Bong County, for example, two centers are expected to benefit, while the remaining counties will each receive allocations through their respective survivor support facilities.
A representative of UN Women praised the project’s focus on dignity and humanity, describing the intervention as timely and deeply meaningful for survivors.
“It is incredibly important to see dignity at the center of this project,” the UN Women representative said. “For survivors in such a vulnerable moment, knowing that an entire organization and multiple institutions are standing behind them is powerful. Dignity is a human right. Everyone has the right to their own body and to life.”
The representative also commended the project’s nationwide scope, noting that its reach across several counties demonstrates a strong and coordinated response to FGM and GBV in Liberia.
Under the Liberia Fights FGM Project, WONGOSOL is working with several implementing partners across the six targeted counties, including: Sister Hands Liberia Grand Cape Mount, Women Care Initiative (WOCI) Bomi, Paramount Young Women Initiative (PAYWO) Gbarpolu, Women Empowerment Program for Sustainability (WEPS) Lower Montserrado, Initiative for Sustainable Rights Empowerment and Development (INSURED) – Upper Montserrado, Women Education and Development Organization of Liberia (WEDOL) Margibi, Community Women Peace Initiative (CWPI) Bong
The Liberia Fights FGM Project seeks to: Prevent new cases of FGM through community awareness, dialogue, and social norm change, strengthen survivor-centered services including health, psychosocial, and legal support to Build the capacity of local partners and community actors to sustain long-term prevention and response efforts.
The project targets: Women and girls at risk of FGM, Survivors of FGM and GBV, Traditional leaders, Youth groups, Community-based organizations, Local health and social service providers.
