The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) has launched a project dubbed, “Enhancing Peace and Social Cohesion through the Promotion of Equitable Access to and use of land for Rural Women in Conflict-prone Communities.”
The project was launched recently in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County.
During the launch of the project on Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the President of AFELL, Atty. Philomena T. Williams informed the women of Kinjor that under the project which is sponsored by UN WOMEN/Peace Building Fund, AFELL, will provide technical support to worker unions and women in concession areas to strengthen the capacity of women to enable them participate and negotiate in concessions agreements and to monitor its implementation.
She stated that AFELL will provide legal services, to victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in concession communities. Atty. Williams furthered that AFELL has commenced conducting awareness sessions for senior management and will facilitate dialogues between female workers unions and management.
She added, “We will train concessions on their duty under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Also speaking, the Vice President of AFELL, Cllr. Bowoulo Taylor-Kelley explained that AFELL’s mission is to advocate for the promotion, protection and advancement of the rights of women and children in Liberia.”
She informed the women that AFELL will focus her activities in four counties that include, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Bomi, and Nimba. She noted that women will be given the necessary tools through adequate capacity building to enable them identify violations and abuses of their rights, and make a claim of those rights.
The female lawyer intimated that legal representation is readily available for women who are victimized in these concessions’ areas. During the interactive session with the women of Kinjor, the women who asked to be unanimous for fear of being targeted, expressed dismay and stressed in loud voices, “We are suffering.” The women of Kinjor made strong allegations of sexual abuse and physical abuse.
“We do not have jobs; we are doing sex work to survive.” They stated the lack of job opportunities. “There is no support for the children; there is no farming area because the company took all the land,” They added.
They further complained that women are not allowed to sit on any negotiation table to express their needs. “They say women have no voice, we are suffering, no job opportunities, no business opportunities; even when jobs are available, they bring people from outside and from Monrovia for employment,” the group of women in Kinjor said.
The women further alleged,” Bea Mountain is treating us bad; we do not have access to enter the fence so we want AFELL to engage Bea Mountain Mining Management, we want to be empowered, we are appealing to AFELL to help us.” In closing, AFELL President, Atty. Williams stated that they have made several attempts to meet the management of Bea Mining but have also been denied access on two separate occasions.
According to them, at the first instance Mr. Gipli who identified himself as the Human Resources Manager told the team from AFELL that they could not meet with the management in Kinjor, but to direct a communication to the Monrovia Office which was done but to no avail.
She remarked that she remains hopeful that the Management of BEA Mountain will meet with the team in the wake of these grave allegations. In a related development, AFELL has expressed thanks to the management of Western cluster in Bomi County, who promised to work and provide work with AFELL in the execution of its duties on protecting the rights of women in the concession area.
