About Us: Our Profile
Gender Peace Network Liberia (GP-Net) was formally established in November 2010
The organization comprised of former volunteers from the Liberia Volunteers for Peace Programme and National Youth Volunteers service programme founded by UNDP Peace building fund in 2009-2010 and implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports The VPP/NYVS/UNDP program came in after 14 years of civil conflicts in Liberia which killed thousands of people and displaced million in exile, the conflicts came to an end in 2003 after a comprehensive peace accord in Ghana. Liberia is now in a post conflicts stage and needs basic peace building, youth and women empowerment programmes to promote peace and reconciliation in the country.Liberia is in a pivotal transitional recovery phase. The Government of Liberia (GoL) and the United Nations (UN) in Liberia recognized that a focus on peace building is a cornerstone of national development and crucial for ensuring that the nation never returns to war. While it is clear that an overall state of security has been maintained in Liberia since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in August 2003, as in any post-conflict country, challenges remain that requires attention to ensure there is no relapse to violent conflict.History has proven that peace agreements do not always result in a lasting peace.
Liberia’s history of conflict largely defines the challenges faced today by Government, citizens and development partners for recovery and sustainable development. A wide range of GoL and UN publications identify the following seven interrelated ‘conflict factors’:
1. Poor leadership and the misuse of power (both central and local levels).The failure of previous leaders to create inclusive, transparent, accountable governance, political mobilization along ethnic lines, and the absence of trust of leadership.
2. Weak justice systems: Constraints on the formal justice system with a lack of infrastructure, materials and an acute shortage of qualified personnel and general capacity; undue delay or no prosecution of matters and a need to regulate traditional dispute resolution mechanisms; especially those involving gross violations of human rights.
3. Lack of shared vision: Social and economic inequality between identity groups, competition over resources, exclusion and deep-rooted hostilities – aggravated by contradictory customary, statutory and historical claims to land ownership.
4. Poverty and food insecurity: Both drivers and consequences of conflict, this factor is aggravated by disruption to agriculture and livelihoods during the war, resulting in children being exposed to abuse to support family food needs and a reduced education.
5. Mismanagement of natural resources:The illegal exploitation of natural resources, coupled with the lack of real dividends for communities, has been at the heart of conflict in Liberia.This requires transparent resource management founded in sound environmental management practice and good governance.Land is also considered a natural resource and disputes over it are wide-ranging.
6. Pressure on reintegration / Lack of absorption capacity in areas of return:With limited infrastructure, services and job opportunities, the return of the displaced adds pressure and exacerbates tensions. Gender Based Violence (GBV) is increasing, as is a perceived threat to the physical security of adolescents - particularly girls.
7. The regional dimension: Instability in neighbouring countries that exacerbated and facilitated conflict within Liberia’s borders in the past, and current unaddressed political issues in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire remain a source of concern. Ethnic group contiguity across national boundaries, poor to non-existent border security, and the movement of displaced populations in and out of bordering countries may also pose risks.
Similar conflict issues or factors appear in Liberia’s draft PRS and other documents - identifying the same issues, sometimes articulated slightly differently.
In examining such factors and developing strategies to address them, special attention must be paid to youth and the gender dimension. The war exacerbated gender inequality in Liberia; a significant number of women and girls suffered various types of violence, including sexual abuse and gender-based violence.Mainstreaming gender issues into national policies and frameworks, and into the high-impact interventions proposed under this Plan, is essential to achieving equal participation and full involvement of women in the maintenance and promotion of peace in Liberia.
“[United Nations Security Council resolution 1325] recognizes that an understanding of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls and effective institutional arrangements to guarantee for their protection and full participation in the peace process can significantly contribute to the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.” Resolution 1325, October 2000
“To build on UNSCR 1325 and, through collective action, promote, facilitate and monitor the meaningful inclusion of gender perspectives in all aspects of Liberia policy and practice on peace and security”.
We achieve this through collaborative research and advocacy around key policy instruments such as UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
We also work to bridge the gap between the realities of women (activists and non-activists) at the local level in (post) conflict affected country like Liberia and work with Government decision makers and practitioners to working on peace and security.
The organization comprised of former volunteers from the Liberia Volunteers for Peace Programme and National Youth Volunteers service programme founded by UNDP Peace building fund in 2009-2010 and implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sports The VPP/NYVS/UNDP program came in after 14 years of civil conflicts in Liberia which killed thousands of people and displaced million in exile, the conflicts came to an end in 2003 after a comprehensive peace accord in Ghana. Liberia is now in a post conflicts stage and needs basic peace building, youth and women empowerment programmes to promote peace and reconciliation in the country.Liberia is in a pivotal transitional recovery phase. The Government of Liberia (GoL) and the United Nations (UN) in Liberia recognized that a focus on peace building is a cornerstone of national development and crucial for ensuring that the nation never returns to war. While it is clear that an overall state of security has been maintained in Liberia since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in August 2003, as in any post-conflict country, challenges remain that requires attention to ensure there is no relapse to violent conflict.History has proven that peace agreements do not always result in a lasting peace.
Liberia’s history of conflict largely defines the challenges faced today by Government, citizens and development partners for recovery and sustainable development. A wide range of GoL and UN publications identify the following seven interrelated ‘conflict factors’:
1. Poor leadership and the misuse of power (both central and local levels).The failure of previous leaders to create inclusive, transparent, accountable governance, political mobilization along ethnic lines, and the absence of trust of leadership.
2. Weak justice systems: Constraints on the formal justice system with a lack of infrastructure, materials and an acute shortage of qualified personnel and general capacity; undue delay or no prosecution of matters and a need to regulate traditional dispute resolution mechanisms; especially those involving gross violations of human rights.
3. Lack of shared vision: Social and economic inequality between identity groups, competition over resources, exclusion and deep-rooted hostilities – aggravated by contradictory customary, statutory and historical claims to land ownership.
4. Poverty and food insecurity: Both drivers and consequences of conflict, this factor is aggravated by disruption to agriculture and livelihoods during the war, resulting in children being exposed to abuse to support family food needs and a reduced education.
5. Mismanagement of natural resources:The illegal exploitation of natural resources, coupled with the lack of real dividends for communities, has been at the heart of conflict in Liberia.This requires transparent resource management founded in sound environmental management practice and good governance.Land is also considered a natural resource and disputes over it are wide-ranging.
6. Pressure on reintegration / Lack of absorption capacity in areas of return:With limited infrastructure, services and job opportunities, the return of the displaced adds pressure and exacerbates tensions. Gender Based Violence (GBV) is increasing, as is a perceived threat to the physical security of adolescents - particularly girls.
7. The regional dimension: Instability in neighbouring countries that exacerbated and facilitated conflict within Liberia’s borders in the past, and current unaddressed political issues in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire remain a source of concern. Ethnic group contiguity across national boundaries, poor to non-existent border security, and the movement of displaced populations in and out of bordering countries may also pose risks.
Similar conflict issues or factors appear in Liberia’s draft PRS and other documents - identifying the same issues, sometimes articulated slightly differently.
In examining such factors and developing strategies to address them, special attention must be paid to youth and the gender dimension. The war exacerbated gender inequality in Liberia; a significant number of women and girls suffered various types of violence, including sexual abuse and gender-based violence.Mainstreaming gender issues into national policies and frameworks, and into the high-impact interventions proposed under this Plan, is essential to achieving equal participation and full involvement of women in the maintenance and promotion of peace in Liberia.
“[United Nations Security Council resolution 1325] recognizes that an understanding of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls and effective institutional arrangements to guarantee for their protection and full participation in the peace process can significantly contribute to the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.” Resolution 1325, October 2000
“To build on UNSCR 1325 and, through collective action, promote, facilitate and monitor the meaningful inclusion of gender perspectives in all aspects of Liberia policy and practice on peace and security”.
We achieve this through collaborative research and advocacy around key policy instruments such as UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
We also work to bridge the gap between the realities of women (activists and non-activists) at the local level in (post) conflict affected country like Liberia and work with Government decision makers and practitioners to working on peace and security.