Global Fund for Women Announces US$50,000 for Sirleaf Market Women Fund

President Sirleaf with members of the Global Fund for Women
Photo Credit: Cyrus Wleh Badio/Executive Mansion

New York, USA  - The Global Fund for Women marked its 20th anniversary Thursday in New York with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf renewing her commitment to advancing issues which continue to affect the progress of women.

Addressing more than 600 guests at a gala event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Fund, the President acknowledged the modest progress her Government has made toward the promotion of women in the governance of the country. She said women have been placed in strategic positions in Government and other sectors of the country, but admitted that despite the progress, women continue to be under-represented in several sectors of the country. The President cited capacity constraints for the under-representation of women. “Our response to these challenges is to put our girls in school and create literacy programs for our market women to enable them to meet today’s challenges,” the Liberian leader noted.

According to an Executive Mansion dispatch from New York, the President recounted the many difficulties and sacrifices the country underwent not just to restore peace and tranquility in the country, but also to ensure that women had a say in the national decision making process.
 
President Johnson Sirleaf extolled the resilience and determination of Liberian women, many of whom make their living as small scale traders. She further appealed for international assistance to improve their conditions.
 
The President observed that in a country like Liberia which has had a protracted period of male political dominance with little success to show, her ascendancy to the Presidency has brought hope and pride to women throughout Africa. “It is for them that I must succeed,” she emphasized.

The Liberian Leader said while the enormity of the task of rebuilding a country wrecked by many years of misrule and war was a challenging dilemma, the determination to succeed has yielded initial positive steps in economic growth, infrastructure development and basic social services restoration. “This is just the beginning; we need to do more to provide jobs for our young people who still remain the most vulnerable group in our society,” the Liberian leader noted.
 
Meanwhile, the Global Fund for Women has announced that it is contributing US$50 thousand dollars to the Sirleaf Market Women Fund, in recognition and appreciation of the efforts of the Liberian President to raise the economic and social status of grassroots Liberian women.
The President of the Fund, Kavita Ramadas, said she was impressed by the singular effort of the Liberian President to improve the social and economic conditions of Liberia’s markets and the women who trade in them.
 
President Sirleaf’s goal to refurbish and modernize 100 markets throughout the country to improve trading conditions of market women has garnered international praise and support.
 
The Global Fund for Women’s 20th Anniversary observance brought together a cross-section of executives of corporate America, international women’s groups and women activists from several countries around the world, including Liberia. About US$2 million dollars was raised at the event.

The Global Fund for Women was founded in 1987 in the United States to advance women’s human rights by providing grants for women groups that work to gain freedom from poverty, violence and discrimination.