By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, October 26, 2026: The Executive Director of the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), Esther S. Davis-Yango, has criticized the poor implementation of Liberia’s laws and policies, warning that meaningful governance cannot be achieved without the participation of women and marginalized groups.
Speaking at the Governance Commission’s Multi-Stakeholder Policy Dialogue on Transparency, Accountability and Citizens’ Participation for Inclusive Development, Davis-Yango said Liberia has several good laws and policies, but implementation remains a major challenge.
“We have a lot of good policies, we have a lot of good laws, but implementation is a major challenge,” she stated.
She emphasized that citizen participation must go beyond ceremonial consultations to ensure that women, young people, persons with disabilities and rural communities influence government decisions and development priorities.
“Citizen participation is a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. When people participate in decisions affecting their lives, policies are more likely to respond to actual needs,” she said.
The WONGOSOL boss identified public consultations, town hall meetings and participatory budgeting as critical mechanisms for strengthening transparency and accountability, particularly under Liberia’s decentralization program.
However, she criticized rushed consultations, recalling an instance when civil society organizations were given only a week to contribute to a national development agenda before its launch.
“How do you expect us to effectively contribute to this document if you give me a short time and you rush it?” she questioned.
Davis-Yango also raised concerns about the selection of participants for county budget hearings, questioning whether women, youth, persons with disabilities and elderly citizens are adequately represented.
She identified limited access to information, financial constraints, inaccessible meeting venues and centralized decision-making as major barriers to inclusive governance.
According to her, town hall meetings should be held regularly, with citizens’ recommendations documented, monitored and incorporated into government decisions.
“Town hall engagement should be regular. It shouldn’t only be when we’re ready to develop policies,” she stressed.
She urged the government to simplify budget information, translate key documents into local languages and establish transparent mechanisms for public participation.
Davis-Yango also called on the Governance Commission to collaborate with relevant government institutions and civil society organizations to develop a citizen participation and social accountability framework.
She warned that decentralization could deepen existing inequalities if women and marginalized communities remain excluded from decision-making.
The WONGOSOL boss concluded that participation without influence is meaningless, transparency without accountability is incomplete, and decentralization without inclusion risks reproducing inequalities at the local level.
The post Good Laws Mean Nothing Without Action- WONGOSOL appeared first on Liberia news The New Dawn Liberia, premier resource for latest news.