A Paper to solidify arguments to concord with the Liberian Senate in the passage of the African Youth Charter submitted to the Honorable House of Representatives by Ms. Kula V. Fofana, Youth & Student Advocate and Executive Director, Paramount Young Women Initiative.
Honorable members of the 52nd Legislature, members of the Joint
House Committee on Youth & Sports, Judiciary and Gender & Child
Development, members of the Government officials, Youth and Students Advocate
and Activists, the youth community, invited guests, the general public,
distinguish one and all.
I am honored to be invited by you Honorable Members to present a paper
to further enlighten the debate in concurring with the House of Senate on the
passage of the African Youth Charter. Too often laws are made and agreements
are signed in the absence and without the acquiescence of the people they
intend to impact, of which said actions have given a negative dividend to
Liberia with significant impact on development processes. This gathering here
today manifest a noteworthy action and a turning point in the accepted ‘status quo’ which is a right step in the right direction with hope for continuity.
In its 13th paragraph, the preamble of the African Youth Charter
states that “recognizing that youth are partners, assets and prerequisite for
sustainable development and for peace and prosperity of Africa with a unique
contribution to make to the present and to future development”, is a clear
demonstration of the partnership role that young people hold in every nation
with specification to Africa and the importance of including young people in
the facet of nation building. Liberia is a unique case and for too long
young people issues have been a lip service, cross cutting and address on
surface.
With the passage of the African Youth Charter, Liberia stands at
the helm of development. As we all are aware more than half of our population
is young people. If the issues of youth are undermined the development of
Liberia is undermined. With the history of arm conflict and the involvement of
young people as victims and perpetrators, the level of unemployment and
underemployment, crimes, limited basic social services, limited educational
opportunities, limited access to affordable health care etc.
Members of this 52nd legislature, with keen interest in Article
23 of the charter which clearly point out the need for young women and girls
inclusion, promotion, protection and development, it calls for a proactive and
pragmatic action in the inclusion of young women and girls.
The state of the world population puts Liberia at 1.3 % of the
prevalence rate of HIV amongst young females between the ages of 15-25. While a
2007 demographic health survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
in collaboration with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo Information
Services reveals that 1 in every 3 girl between the ages of 13-19 has given
birth once or twice, the study shows that young women and adolescent girls lack
basic information relating to their sexual health and as a result they fall
prey and end up getting pregnant and dropping out of school, and getting
infected with HIV/AIDS as they lack basic knowledge and limited access to
health services.
Liberia’s population growth pattern is influenced by five
factors: (a) high fertility rates (5.2 nationally, 6.2 in rural areas and 3.8
in urban areas) (LDHS 2007); (b) the large population of women of reproductive
age; (c) the practice of early marriages – approximately 48% of Liberian girls
marry by the age of 18; (d) the widespread practice of polygamy, particularly
in rural Liberia; and (e) the generally low utilization of contraceptive
services.
Maternal mortality remains staggeringly high and appears to have
increased in recent years. Currently estimated at 994 deaths per 100,000
live births (2007), this rate is among the worst in the world.
What do these statistics mean? Most of our young women and girls
are at the peak of these stats and there is a need for a specific and clear
action to enhance the growth and development and their access to health
services.
Women were not allowed until the 1940s when they were granted
the franchise to vote. This was not the end of the story, as all women whether
rural/indigenous or urban settlers were not allowed to vote until 1946, but
only if one had property. Indigenous women, notwithstanding, were not permitted
to participate in elections until the 1950s. This was a contradiction of the
constitution which proclaimed the equality of all people, and the inalienable
rights of all its citizens to participate in their governance. If interpreted,
the constitution was fashioned in a way favorable to one segment of the
society-the property class. Hence in actuality there were three categories of women
in Liberia; the settlers’ women some of whom owned property and by that
standard were qualified to vote; poor settler women who did not have property
and were excluded. There was yet another group, the indigenous women who like
their male counterparts could not vote until the 1950s. Hence, in spite of the
constitution’s stance on the equality of all persons, the political class at
the time set aside the real meaning of the equality “doctrine” and therefore
ignored the constitution. Certainly this was the beginning of the
discrimination of all Liberian women which in a way reinforced the already
existing cultural bias against women which is also been reinforce by limited
opportunities for young women participation in local and national politics or
even representation.
What will the passage of the charter do?
The charter will reinforce the mandate and obligate government,
stakeholders and partners to involve young people as partners and not receivers
and as well it mandates local actors to create a frame work of action for
domestication which is the national youth policy.
And the young people of Liberia are ahead of that step with the
already existing youth policy.
Honorable members of parliament, fellow citizens, I join
colleagues before me in seeking your approval for the passage of the African
Youth Charter.
Thank you.
