Under the Liberia SGBV program launched in January 2016, IDLO will work with the judiciary to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accountability of Criminal Court “E” in Montserrado, the special court designated to deal exclusively with sexual offenses established in 2008, and improve access to justice and protection mechanisms for victims of SGBV. It will also work to enhance the capacity of offices under the Court Administrator to support efficient, transparent and accountable processing of SGBV cases, and will provide scholarships and other educational opportunities to increase the education of women in the Liberian National Police. Furthermore, the program will help link and improve justice, support and protection services by strengthening civil society organizations specializing in providing services for victims and witnesses suffering from SGBV.
The program is part of the United States Government’s Accountability Initiative which was launched by Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014 at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Accountability Initiative seeks to decrease impunity for sexual and gender-based violence in conflict-affected environments, scale judicial capacity and promote public confidence in the rule of law. Under this Initiative, the United States has committed $8.35 million for projects in Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia.
IDLO will work in partnership with the Judiciary of the Republic of Liberia, the Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia National Police, as well as a variety of civil society organizations focused on addressing SGBV in Liberia. The program will last two years and is funded by the United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) and the Secretary’s Office for Global Women’s Issues.
Scroll below to find the Press Release from the program's launch.
Photo: UNICEF/Glenn Gordon
