Monrovia, Liberia – A two-day working session has been initiated by Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its partners with the goal of including gender into the Community Action Plans (CAPs) of six vulnerable coastal towns in Sinoe County.
Taking place in the Blue and Green Room at Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Monrovia, the session started on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, with the theme “Empowering Communities through Gender Equality.”
The project is supported by the government of Liberia with implementation from the Enhancing the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities in Sinoe County of (ERVCCS) Liberia through a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with co-funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The workshop will concentrate on communities that are more at risk for environmental problems as a result of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and the wider effects of climate change. These settlements include Nanakru, Pungbor, Seebeh, Tournata, Bafa Bay, and Downtown Mississippi.
The two-day session intends to create practical strategies that incorporate gender into the Community Action Plans of the targeted communities in Sinoe County, according to Princess Aminata Blango-Doyah, Project Manager of the Enhancing the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities in Sinoe County ERVCCS, who spoke at the beginning of the session.
She praised the involvement of the Sinoe County Women Forum and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection members who came from Sinoe to support the initiative, and appreciated the presence of gender specialists and community leaders. “I want to thank all of our gender experts in the room for the support. We appreciate such collaboration with the people of Sinoe County,” she said.
She welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of inclusive design. Madam Blango-Doyah stated that the goal of the two-day conference is to develop workable solutions that incorporate gender into the selected Sinoe villages’ CAPs. She remarked, “We appreciate such collaboration with the people of Sinoe County, and I want to thank all of our gender experts in the room for the support.”
According to Madam Blango-Doyah gender is often narrowly interpreted as referring only to women and girls, though other groups such as the elderly, youth, and persons with disabilities also face marginalization as such, she stressed the need for a broader understanding of gender.
“Gender equality or gender mainstreaming is a driving component of many international development initiatives, which aims at creating opportunities for economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving household well-being, health, and education.” she stated.
Madam Blango-Doyah urged participants to bring forward innovative and practical ideas that would yield lasting results, and commended the Sinoe project team for making the session possible.
The session brings together representatives from various sectors including agriculture, gender, environment, commerce and industries, and community development as well as local NGOs and ERVCCS staff. Participants will engage in presentations, group discussions, and strategy planning, all geared toward identifying gender-specific needs and creating actionable strategies that promote inclusion and resilience.
Reported by: Jenneh Borbor
