after statement takings and testimonies, engaged male partners to promote behavioral change
and provided medical and child reunification referrals. The final report of the TRC includes a
chapter dedicated to the experiences of women during the conflict, including specific
recommendations to address the physical, psychological, social, political and economic needs of
women.
B.
Violence against Women
68.
Taking into account the high incidence of rape against girls and women in post conflict
Liberia, in 2005 the government enacted legislation to amend the new Penal Code of 1976‐ the
Rape Law. In the following year and under the leadership of the Ministry of Gender and
Development, a National Gender Based Violence Plan of Action was launched. The main
objective of the National Plan is to prevent the high incidence of gender based violence in
different communities and provide physical, psychological, economic and legal support to girls
and women victims of gender based violence.
69.
In 2008, Liberia took further decisive measures to combat gender based violence in the
country. In early 2008, the Special Court1 for Rape and Other Forms of Violence was established
in Monrovia. Soon after, the Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Unit was created under
the Ministry of Justice. The Unit is responsible for the coordination and prosecution of cases in
the Special Court for Rape and provides community outreach and awareness‐programs as well
as 24 hours victims’ hotline services. Going forward, Liberia plans to expand the work of the
Unit to handle cases from a wider geographic area and create permanent SGBV Units around
the country.
70.
With regard to health services to victims of sexual violence, Liberia has developed
standard protocols for clinical management of rape, which are being used to provide specialized
trainings to health service providers at various health facilities around the country and has
integrated SGBV prevention and response activities in all national health and psychosocial
programs.
71.
In an additional effort to eliminate violence against women, the Anti‐Human Trafficking
Act was passed in 2005. In order to enforce the Act, Liberia has taken the following measures:
established a Ministerial Task Force to supervise the fight against trafficking in persons, set up
focal points in different Ministries and governmental agencies for effective networking, built
the capacity of senior law enforcement officials to better prepare them to respond to trafficking
cases as they arise, signed the ECOWAS Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons,
conducted public education and awareness campaigns in numerous communities, and built the
capacity of 35 civil society organizations to help design grass root programs to combat
trafficking in persons.
1
Criminal court E
17