LPCM Lauds Speaker Koon on His Push for Women-Only Seats – But Calls for ‘Inclusive Implementation’

MONROVIA – A recently formed civil soceity group, the Liberia Political Centrism Movement (LPCM), has commended House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon for what it called “his bold and forward-thinking proposal to establish women-only seats in the Liberian Legislature”.

LPCM in a statement issued over the weekend described the move as “a significant step toward correcting the historic under-representation of women in national decision-making”, arguing that such a proposal is consistent with Liberia’s commitments under key international human rights frameworks.

the group cited the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the African Union’s Maputo Protocol, all of which call for affirmative actions to enhance women’s participation in governance.

“Creating space for women in our national legislature is not only progressive-it is long overdue,” said. Kanio Bai Gbala, Founder and Chairperson of the LPCM is quoted as saying. “But true empowerment must be rooted in inclusion and fairness. We must ensure that rural women, market women, and grassroots leaders have as much access to these seats as their urban counterparts.”

While welcoming the initiative, the LPCM emphasized the need for clear, transparent, and inclusive implementation guidelines to prevent the capture of these seats by urban elites, and to ensure that they reflect the full diversity of Liberian women—particularly those from rural and marginalized communities.

The LPCM reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Legislature, civil society, and women’s groups to help design practical frameworks that will make this proposal a transformative milestone in Liberia’s democratic journey.