Monrovia, Liberia – In an effort to give adolescent girls’ health, safety, and future top priority, the Liberian government, the Irish government, UNFPA, and other important stakeholders have formally launched a new program called “Protect, Empower, and Nurture” (PEN).
This groundbreaking collaborative initiative, which has been generously financed by the Irish Embassy, has a total budget of $7,000,000 and will be carried out over a five-year period, from 2025 to 2029. The three main Liberian counties of Grand Gedeh, River Cess, and Montserrado will be the focus of this joint UNFPA and UNICEF initiative.
This will furthermore guarantee focused assistance for teenage females, especially the most disadvantaged and at-risk ones in these areas. To make a significant and long-lasting difference in their lives, a deliberate deployment of the group’s resources and experience will be implemented.
The initiative’s goal is to guarantee that 107,501 adolescent girls in Liberia, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable, are protected, empowered, and able to access comprehensive social services within safe and inclusive environments, thereby contributing to their health, well-being, and full development, according to Mr. Leonard Kamugisha, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative.
In order to ensure an enabling environment that supports adolescents’ responsive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and nutrition, Kamugisha states that by 2029, there will be a strengthened enabling environment. This includes strengthening national and subnational institutions, including community structures.
Additionally, Mr. Kamugisha noted that this will lead to a rise in the use of services, as teenage females will actively seek out high-quality, responsive, and adolescent-friendly nutrition and sexual health services. “The agency to lead, participate, and impact decision-making processes and structures is possessed by adolescent girls.”
Pillar 1: Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) aims to foster a supportive environment and equip adolescents with the essential information, services, and empowerment opportunities needed to achieve optimal sexual and reproductive health, well-being, and development. Specifically, it focuses on empowering adolescent girls through comprehensive information and education, enabling them to make informed decisions about their sexual health.
Despite Liberia’s impressive progress, young females still face significant obstacles due to the country’s high rates of adolescent pregnancy: Pregnancy affects 31% of adolescent females, which raises health risks, interferes with schooling, and limits economic potential. Teenage females often start having sex between the ages of 14 and 16 years. 32% of girls become mothers by the age of 19, despite the fact that 47% of sexually active teenage girls do not utilize any kind of contemporary contraception.
High rates of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are caused by a lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, such as contraception and safe abortion treatment.
According to Liberian health officials, adolescent girls account for an estimated 60% of obstetric fistula cases in the country, indicating that they are disproportionately affected by pregnancy delivery problems. Nutritional inadequacies were also mentioned in the report: Anemia affects a large percentage of teenage females (55%) and raises the chance of pregnancy as well as contributing to intergenerational cycles of stunting and undernutrition.
Pillar 2: Food Security and Nutrition; this pillar addresses the multi-faceted issue of adolescent malnutrition by strengthening national and subnational institutions to support adolescent health and nutrition. Key interventions include developing national strategies and guidelines, strengthening information management systems and building capacity of frontline health workers in nutrition data collection and reporting, and the application of data to inform planning and decision-making.
According to Kamugisha, these interconnected interventions are crucial for improving the lives of adolescent girls by protecting their fundamental rights and safeguarding their health and well-being. Meanwhile, the below link revealed a report from the World Bank and UNICEF details analysis on adolescents girls around the world.
Laura Golakeh, Deputy Minister of Gender and Social Protection (MOGCSP), said the PEN project, is placing adolescent girls where they truly belong at the center of the national development agenda.
Minister Golakeh, pledged the Ministry’s full support to this initiative. “Our Ministry remains a dedicated partner in ensuring that adolescent girls across Liberia are no longer left behind no longer silenced or invisible. We know this project will positively affect the lives of adolescent girls throughout the country. Our interconnectedness is part of our national and cultural identity.”
She emphasized the significance of reaching out to young girls who are living and working on the streets, who are struggling with drug addiction, or who have been coerced into prostitution due to exploitation or despair.
Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Government of Ireland also said the “Protect Empower Nurture” project will empower girls to lead healthier, safer and more dignified lives. “Addressing these issues together is not just strategic, it is a moral imperative to ensure no adolescent girl is left behind. To the Government of Liberia represented by a wonderful suite of Ministers, thank you so much for your leadership in advancing gender equality and nutrition through the Arrest Agenda for Inclusion and Development.”
Richmond : “We have to let this launch be a catalyst. Together we must challenge harmful norms and practices, empower girls to claim their rights and ensure every investment translates into lasting impact where it matters most. Let us envision a future where every adolescent girl thrives, is protected, empowered and nurtured.”
Reported by: Simeon Wiakanty
Contact: +231881538878
