The Breakthrough

On June 1, 2020, we kicked off 16 days of activism against SGBV in Ganta and conducted a series of community engagements in 28 communities of Nimba County. During the 16 days, we discovered many cases of rape and teenage pregnancy in the communities as a result of sexual abuse. Many of these cases went unreported, as the culture of silence was prevalent, preventing victims/families from speaking out or reporting instances of abuse. During the 16 days, we interviewed victims and forwarded their cases to the Women and Children Department of the Liberia National Police for further processing and investigation. As we raised awareness, more people started to speak out, and the messages resonated, prompting the Ministry of Gender and local government to take action. On June 16, they all agreed to sign a permit legitimizing our movement, and they signed a commitment to support our fight for Human Rights in Nimba.