A group known as “InfoQuest” has launched its Gender-Sensitive Legislative Monitoring Project, aimed at enhancing legislative accountability and responsiveness through increased monitoring and advocacy.
On Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Monrovia, the Acting Executive Director of InfoQuest, Ezekiel Allen, announced that the project, which commenced in January 2025, focuses on tracking gender-sensitive legislative activities, monitoring lawmakers’ responsiveness to gender-related issues, and promoting civic engagement in gender-sensitive governance.
In its first month, InfoQuest has made significant progress, including formal engagement with the Legislature, securing official protocols for monitoring activities, and initiating discussions with key stakeholders such as the Speaker’s Office and committee chairpersons.
A digital platform has been developed to monitor legislative actions concerning gender-related policies. Additionally, four legislative monitors—two males and two females—have been trained in gender-sensitive legislative tracking and have been equipped with manual tools that will later be integrated into the digital system.
Director Allen reported that on January 30, the first monitoring session revealed significant gender disparities in legislative representation, with 43 male legislators present compared to only 6 female legislators.
This session also involved discussions on critical legislative matters, such as the Rivercess Community Development Act, which aims to improve community development but lacks specific provisions focused
The Acting Director explained that InfoQuest will offer recommendations to enhance the gender sensitivity of this bill. Despite these early successes, challenges such as limited access to committee meetings have presented difficulties. However, he noted that the organization is actively engaging with legislative leadership to expand monitoring opportunities.
“Looking ahead, activities for February, extending into March, will focus on strengthening legislative engagement through high-level meetings with key committee leaders and advancing the gender-responsive legislative monitoring framework,” he s
tated. In line with its commitment to transparency and public engagement, InfoQuest plans to provide regular press briefings to share updates and key findings from its monitoring activities. This initiative highlights the importance of gender-responsive governance in Liberia and aims to drive policy changes that promote equity in legislative processes.
