Liberia Women Empowerment Project Embarks on High-Level Mission to Strengthen Rural Impact
November 29, 2025
By Lazota Bility
The Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP) has launched a high-impact national visit to Nyehn Town in Todee District, Rural Montserrado County, marking a powerful moment in this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Led by the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Gbeme Horace Kollie, and joined by Georgia Wallen, World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, the mission brings together LWEP service providers headed by Plan International, alongside community leaders and project beneficiaries.
Their presence represents a unified front of national commitment and global solidarity to advance the rights, safety, and empowerment of women and girls. Funded by the World Bank, LWEP is a transformative initiative designed to strengthen women’s economic independence, shift harmful social norms, expand GBV prevention and response services, and reinforce accountability at the community level.
The project is driving long-term systems change that supports women not only to survive but to rise, lead, and thrive. During this high-level visit, the delegation will engage directly with women-led enterprises, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), SASA! activists, police officers, health workers, and local leaders.
They will hear firsthand accounts of how LWEP’s grants, capacity-building trainings, and community engagement efforts are reshaping lives, strengthening families, and transforming communities across Rural Montserrado.
A key moment of the mission will be the recognition of eight women-led VSLAs that recently received USD 32,000 in catalytic grant funding, supporting 230 members (199 women and 31 men).
These groups Laila Village Savings, Willekemah, Fairness VSLA, Kukatune, Quapaigeh VSLA, Try and See Savings, Leesaye Savings, and Peace Mother Club—are now scaling up income-generating activities, reinforcing savings culture, and accelerating economic independence for rural women. They stand as pillars of resilience, innovation, and community leadership.
The delegation will also observe demonstrations of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and GBV referral pathways, powerful tools that are strengthening community-level accountability and ensuring survivors receive timely, confidential, and dignified support.
SASA! activists will lead discussions on shifting gender norms and addressing power imbalances critical steps in preventing violence before it occurs. This field mission is more than a visit it is a bold affirmation of the Government of Liberia’s commitment, together with the World Bank and implementing partners, to building safer, more equitable, and more prosperous communities.
The Ministry of Gender encourages residents of Todee District to welcome the delegation and showcase the remarkable progress achieved through LWEP’s support.
The Ministry also urges the public to report all forms of violence against women and girls through the GBV Hotline (116) and the LWEP Feedback & Grievance Line (4433) free, confidential, and available to save lives. Every call is a step toward protection, justice, and dignity.
