MONROVIA – Liberia closes Women’s History Month 2026, a powerful national reflection emerges on the enduring role of women in sustaining the country through war, hardship, and systemic exclusion. In a sweeping tribute, human rights lawyer Tiawan Saye Gongloe reframes the narrative of national development, arguing that Liberia’s survival has depended less on institutions and more on the resilience and sacrifice of its women. Anchored in the theme “Give to Gain,” the commentary moves beyond celebration to demand structural justice, equal opportunity, and recognition. As THE ANALYST reports, the Gongloe statement seemingly presents a compelling case that Liberia’s future is inseparable from the empowerment, protection, and leadership of its women.
In a deeply reflective and wide-ranging tribute marking the close of Women’s History Month 2026, prominent human rights lawyer, presidential aspirant, and Assistant Professor of Law, Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has issued a powerful call for national reckoning with the role, sacrifice, and enduring contributions of Liberian women.
Presented in observance of International Women’s Day and framed around the global theme “Give to Gain,” the commentary stands as both a tribute and a demand—a tribute to generations of women whose labor and resilience sustained the nation, and a demand for justice, equity, and structural reform in a society that has long benefited from their sacrifices without proportionate recognition.
A Nation Sustained by Women
Gongloe’s central thesis is both stark and compelling: Liberia was not sustained by political elites, wealth, or formal institutions, but by the quiet, persistent strength of its women.
“For generations, Liberian women have given—quietly, consistently, and sacrificially,” he writes. “They have given their labor, their dignity, their resilience, and their leadership, often without recognition, protection, or reward.”
This framing repositions women not as peripheral actors in national development, but as its foundational pillars—those who carried families, communities, and ultimately the state through periods of instability and collapse.
Historically, the commentary recalls, Liberian women were denied the right to vote for more than a century following the nation’s founding in 1847. Yet even in the face of political exclusion, they remained central to the country’s survival.
“They tilled the soil, raised the children, and held families together while the state struggled to find its moral direction,” Gongloe notes.
The Burden of Inequality
The tribute does not romanticize women’s contributions; rather, it situates them within a broader context of systemic inequality and structural disadvantage.
In many homes, he observes, girls were denied access to education while boys were prioritized. Women were consigned to domestic labor, farming, and market activities, often without access to land ownership, credit, or institutional support.
Despite these limitations, many of these same women emerged as pillars of wisdom, discipline, and leadership within their communities—shaping generations even in the absence of formal recognition.
The commentary further highlights the disproportionate burden borne by women during Liberia’s years of military rule and the prolonged civil conflict. During that period, women were subjected to some of the most horrific forms of violence, including rape and sexual exploitation used as weapons of war.
“These scars—physical, emotional, and psychological—have never been fully addressed,” Gongloe writes, underscoring the enduring legacy of trauma that continues to affect many women today.
Injustice in Times of Peace
Even in postwar Liberia, the narrative of injustice persists.
Gongloe draws attention to widespread patterns of sexual exploitation by powerful individuals, as well as domestic violence that often goes unreported due to cultural pressures and weak enforcement of legal protections.
He also highlights the prevalence of cohabitation arrangements that leave women vulnerable—relationships entered without legal or traditional safeguards, often ending in abandonment.
These realities, he argues, reflect not isolated incidents but systemic failures that continue to marginalize women despite the country’s progress in other areas.
“Liberian Women Have Gotten Nothing Free”
Perhaps the most striking assertion in the tribute is the declaration that “Liberian women have gotten nothing free.”
Every gain—whether in education, economic participation, or political representation—has been achieved through struggle, persistence, and sacrifice.
Yet even as these gains accumulate, Gongloe emphasizes that the journey toward equality remains incomplete.
A Changing Narrative of Strength
Despite the challenges, the commentary points to significant progress.
Across Liberia, women are increasingly reshaping the economic landscape, dominating local markets and cross-border trade routes that extend into neighboring countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire.
In education, girls are emerging as top performers, often surpassing their male counterparts in academic achievement and commitment.
Within families, a profound shift is underway. Women are increasingly becoming primary providers, supporting not only their children but also aging parents.
Gongloe captures this transformation through a powerful anecdote: fathers acknowledging that their daughters are now the backbone of the household, often more reliable than their sons.
Icons of Leadership and Legacy
The tribute pays homage to a long list of Liberian women whose achievements have shaped national and global history.
Among them is Angie Brooks Randolph, who became the second woman in the world to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly and the first from Africa to hold that position.
Also recognized is Mary Antoinette Brown Sherman, the first female President of the University of Liberia, whose leadership helped shape the country’s intellectual landscape.
In the judiciary, figures such as Frances Johnson Morris, Gloria Musu Scott, and Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh are credited with upholding judicial independence during challenging political periods.
A historic milestone is also noted under the Yuoh Bench, where women constituted the majority of the Supreme Court—an unprecedented moment in Liberia’s legal history.
The narrative further celebrates the global recognition of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee, whose joint Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 symbolized the transformative power of women in peacebuilding.
Political leadership is represented by Jewel Howard-Taylor and Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, both of whom have broken barriers in governance.
In the legal profession, F. Juah Lawson is recognized as the first female President of the Liberia National Bar Association, reflecting the growing presence of women in the legal field.
Even at the founding of the nation, women played a central role. The Liberian flag itself was designed and crafted by women led by Susannah Lewis, underscoring their foundational contribution to national identity.
An Unfinished Journey
Despite these achievements, Gongloe is unequivocal that Liberia has not yet fulfilled its obligations to women.
Women remain underrepresented in the Legislature, and structural barriers continue to limit their access to governance, economic opportunities, and justice.
“The law must evolve to reflect the lived realities of Liberian women,” he argues.
This call for reform is positioned not as a matter of charity, but as a matter of justice.
A Call to National Awakening
As Liberia concludes Women’s History Month, Gongloe insists that the moment must go beyond symbolic recognition.
“The time has now come for Liberia to give back,” he writes, calling for equal opportunity, legal protection, fair representation, and dignity for women.
The message is both urgent and hopeful: that the empowerment of women is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for national development.
A Future Anchored in Women
In his concluding reflections, Gongloe ties the fate of Liberia directly to the status of its women.
“As a lawyer, a human rights advocate, and a servant of the Liberian people, I state with conviction that Liberia’s future depends on the empowerment of its women—not as a matter of favor, but as a matter of justice.”
His final assertion captures the essence of the tribute:
“When women rise, nations rise.”
For Liberia, that rise is not hypothetical—it is already underway. The question now is whether the nation will match the contributions of its women with the recognition, protection, and opportunities they have long deserved.
Because, as the commentary makes clear, Liberia has already gained from the sacrifices of its women. The time has come to give back.