FAWE Liberia Sounds Alarm on Child Marriage, Demands Increased Investment in Girls’ Education

KAKATA, MARGIBI COUNTY — The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Liberia Chapter has issued a passionate call for increased national investment in girls’ education, protection, and empowerment, warning that Liberia cannot achieve sustainable development while half its youth population faces systemic barriers.

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By Christopher C. Walker, [email protected]

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The advocacy group made the call on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during the local observance of the International Day of the Girl Child in Kakata, Margibi County, held under the national theme: “Ending Child Marriage in Liberia: Investing in Her Rights and Potential.”

The event convened students, school administrators, civil society leaders, and government representatives to address key challenges affecting young women and to explore concrete avenues for expanding access to education, technical skills, and leadership roles.

Embracing STEM and Vocational Training

Speaking during the program, Madam Vanesa Johnson-Freeman, Program Coordinator at FAWE Liberia, stressed that the celebration was designed to push young women toward recognizing and maximizing their full potential.

Madam Freeman urged schoolgirls to shatter gender stereotypes by aggressively pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

“Girls and women possess the exact same intellectual potential as their male counterparts,” Freeman said, emphasizing that encouraging female participation in traditionally male-dominated trades is vital for national growth and economic self-reliance.

Echoing her sentiments, Mrs. Lorpu Darku, a TVET instructor at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI), challenged young women to dismantle long-held perceptions that technical fields belong exclusively to men. She noted that vocational skills provide a direct pathway to financial independence, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Opening Pathways in Healthcare

Addressing career diversification, Madam Dorothy Q. Barcolleh, Chief Executive Officer of the Barcolleh Health Center in Kakata, encouraged participants to consider healthcare and nursing as vital professions of service and professional growth.

She noted that building a robust healthcare workforce in Liberia relies heavily on empowering young women to acquire formal medical training.

A Renewed Push Against Child Marriage

With child marriage taking center stage during the discussions, participants and stakeholders praised FAWE Liberia for decentralizing its awareness campaign to Margibi County.

Attendees noted that the panel discussions provided critical enlightenment on human rights, reproductive health, and career planning.

FAWE Liberia concluded the observance by reiterating its mandate to hold government institutions, civil society partners, and community leaders accountable for creating a safe environment where girls are protected from early marriage, kept in classrooms, and equipped to lead Liberia’s future.