(EGRA) program, which provides early reading intervention assessment and support in 15
education districts, and drafting a policy to develop an Early Childhood Development (ECD)
Curriculum to ensure that children ages 0‐5 have access to quality ECD services and programs.
D.
Right to Food
63.
In order to ensure the right to food, Liberia has taken several initiatives. Some
noteworthy initiatives include: providing technical and training support to farmers around the
country; providing seeds, fertilizers, and farming equipment to farmers; in collaboration with
the Ministry of Public Works, identifying population and agricultural centers to build feeder
roads connecting areas with high agricultural production with Liberian markets; providing
freestanding warehouses and warehouses connected to technology centers for the safe storage
of agricultural products; and, appreciating the lack of trained personnel in all areas of the
agricultural sector; thereby, extensively training Ministry of Agriculture staff in modern
techniques relating to planting, harvesting, food storage, and fisheries.
64.
Further, the Division of School Feeding of the Ministry of Education provides hot meals
and take‐home rations to primary school children in public schools around the country. In
addition to alleviating short term hunger, these programs have helped attract and retain more
children, especially girls, in school.
3.3
Women
65.
During Liberia’s civil conflict, women were victims of forced displacement, killing,
assault, abduction, torture, forced recruitment, extensive destruction of property, and were
disproportionately targeted for rape, sexual abuse, sexual slavery, and forced pregnancy. In the
aftermath of the conflict, women continue to suffer the physical, emotional, psychological and
economic effects of the conflict, face high incidents of rape and sexual violence, and confront
significant traditional and cultural challenges to maintain meaningful participation in public and
political spheres. In order to advance the protection and promotion of women’s rights and
meet the immediate post‐conflict needs of women, Liberia has taken the following measures.
A.
Women & the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
66.
The Act establishing the TRC explicitly calls for the participation and inclusion of women
in the TRC process. Accordingly, in 2006, a Gender Committee to advise the TRC was set up. The
Committee consisted of governmental and non‐ governmental institutions with general
expertise on women’s issues and particular expertise on issues faced by female survivors of
sexual violence.
67.
The creation of the Gender Committee greatly increased the participation of women in
the TRC process. Women were not only encouraged to come forward and share the full
spectrum of their experiences during the conflict; they were also actively recruited to work as
statement takers. Further, the Gender Committee provided psycho‐social support during and
16