Liberia
Although Liberia has not used the term “Feminist Foreign Policy” in as many words, it has committed to prioritizing gender mainstreaming. In April 2021, Liberian Foreign Minister H E Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., declared that Liberia’s Feminist-in-Chief, President George Manneh Weah, was investing efforts to make “gender mainstreaming a matter of urgency in the formulation and implantation of policies and programs to enhance greater participation of women in national leadership.” The vision is to include the women of Liberia in all spheres of public life. This call came closely at the heels of a declaration to amend the Domestic Violence Act and other laws to provide an enhanced sense of protection for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Liberia.
The government has also established Gender and Social Inclusion Units in all government ministries, agencies and commissions, and adopted the Gender Based Violence Comprehensive Prevention Strategy of “Leaving No One Behind” to enhance the protection and empowerment of women, girls and marginalized members of the Liberian society. Liberia is also known for being the First and only African nation to have a female president of the UN General Assembly, and for being the first African nation to have a woman as a democratically elected president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the First Female and current Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Dr Jewel Howard Taylor.
It appears that the intended approach shall be grounded in the ECOWAS National Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the Supplementary Act on the Equality of Rights between Women and Men for Sustainable Development in the ECOWAS Region. So far, an official feminist foreign policy has not been rolled out and it remains to be seen how this intention will translate into action. However, over the past few years, the Feminist-in-Chief has been criticised for vetoing the 30% gender bill and for not appointing women candidates for its senate elections.
References:
1) Pres. Weah Declares Himself “Liberia’s Feminist-In-Chief”; Recommits To Women’s Cause https://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=4686&related=7&pg=sp
2) At LNBA General Assembly: AFELL Criticizes ‘Feminist-in-Chief’ Weah for Vetoing 30% Gender Bill https://independentprobe.com/2023/04/03/at-lnba-general-assembly-afell-criticizes-feminist-in-chief-weah-for-vetoing-30-gender-bill/
