As the ENSURE Project closes this month, Liberian officials, donors and rights advocates gathered in Monrovia with a warning: the threats facing women human rights defenders are outlasting the funding meant to address them.
By Patience M. Jones, patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com
The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation (KTK) is hosting a two-day reflection meeting at the Cape Hotel on October 22–23, under the theme “From Evidence to Action: Reflecting, Learning, Strengthening Collective Action.”
Opening the meeting, KTK Country Director Korto Williams said it should not be treated as routine. “This is not business as usual; this is not a workshop,” she said, explaining that while programs and donor support are ending, “the challenges that we face as human rights defenders are not ending.”
Williams said human rights defenders, women’s rights advocates and civil society groups face “increasing pressures and shrinking resources in a rapidly changing environment.” She described the work as, for many, “a personal commitment and a personal journey” rather than a nine-to-five job.
She said she had brought her niece to the meeting so the young woman could understand the realities of Liberian society. The measure of success, she told participants, is whether the project’s results continue to benefit people long after it has ended, and she urged partners to strengthen the systems, partnerships and leadership that will sustain them.
She thanked the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Embassy of Ireland, civil society partners and human rights defenders for making the work possible.
ENSURE was set up to address limited evidence on threats, backlash and rights violations against human rights defenders, particularly women activists, in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Project Lead Beatrice Newland said it ran from November 2024 to October 2026 and focused on research, advocacy, safety and security, and cross-border solidarity.
Working with local partners, and supported by Irish Aid and the Rights and Democracy Research Centre, the project produced two country-specific research reports, identified gaps in legal and institutional protection, and developed advocacy plans.
Its main achievements, Newland said, included sharing research findings across six Liberian counties, engaging stakeholders on the proposed Human Rights Act, and delivering physical and digital security training for defenders. Exchanges between activists in the two countries also strengthened collaboration.
She said the project’s lessons include the need for flexibility, coordination, context-specific approaches and follow-up training. Evidence-based advocacy and sustained partnerships, she added, are essential to protecting defenders and advancing policy reform.
Speaking for the Embassy of Ireland, a representative said Dublin’s partnership with Liberia rests on the conviction that democracy is strongest when every citizen can participate in public life and when rights defenders can work “with confidence and security.” That conviction, the representative said, guides Ireland’s Mission Strategy for 2024–2028.
The representative commended KTK and the Nunn-Lai Research and Consulting Firm for convening the meeting and recalled an August policy dialogue that examined risks to defenders, from physical violence to online harassment, along with gaps in legal protection and institutional capacity. This week’s question, the representative said, is “What has changed because of this work, and what must come next?”
The representative acknowledged that “the backlash against gender equality and women’s rights is real,” and said Liberia is not alone in facing it. Cross-border learning, including with partners in Sierra Leone, will continue, the representative said.
Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Curtis V. Dorley said protecting women and girls remains a national priority. He pointed to persistent violence and discrimination, including rape, child marriage, female genital mutilation, intimate partner violence and workplace sexual harassment, and said the government is working to address harmful social norms.
Dorley also flagged technology-facilitated violence as a growing threat, citing online bullying, internet scams and cyber fraud, which he said are damaging the mental health, financial security and dignity of women and girls. He called for public awareness, effective enforcement of relevant laws, accessible reporting mechanisms and support for survivors.
He said women and girls in domestic service, on plantations and at mining sites remain especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and need better access to justice, support services and safe working conditions.
Dorley commended the Legislature for passing the Data Protection and Cybersecurity Act, but urged advocates to push for the Women and Girls Protection Bill, which remains pending. He said the bill is vital to strengthening legal safeguards and the national response to gender-based violence.
The Ministry, he said, remains committed to working with stakeholders to strengthen protection mechanisms, improve services for survivors and promote women’s leadership.
The meeting continues Friday, with participants expected to discuss how to sustain the project’s gains after its conclusion.