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Colloquium Marks a New Era for Women in Liberia
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Posted on March 12, 2009 | Tags:
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Health By Teri Weefur in Monrovia, Liberia In a special event coinciding with the observance of women through International Women's Day (March 8), the International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security 2009 was an historic event for women in Liberia, Africa, and around the world.
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The colloquium, hosted by two female presidents, Africa's first, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Finland's Tarja Halonen, brought together hundreds of women, including heads of state, executives, NGOs, community leaders, and local participants to provide women with the platform, voice, skills, and guidance needed to play a more significant and constructive role in all aspects of society.
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In addition to establishing the Angie Brooks Centre to be built in Liberia, which will support the implementation of the colloquium's goals like gender-based violence, education and economic security, the conference addressed issues on all aspects of women's empowerment in Monrovia, Liberia, in the post-conflict country's first major conference since 1979.
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I returned to Liberia for the first time in 19 years since 1990 -- after having left right after the 14-year civil war broke out -- to volunteer for the colloquium. Arriving in Monrovia two weeks prior to the colloquium to assist the Office of the Secretariat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I hit the ground running, working with the event planner, Maya Padmore, along with dozens of volunteers who were committed to showing the world that Liberia was on the way to returning to the land of tourism and development opportunities. These women, young and old, black and white, came from as far as the interior of the country and from across oceans to lend their time and expertise to the Government of Liberia to make the event a success. The Liberian people put on their best traditional outfits, displayed the hospitality that they are well known for, and welcomed the world with open arms in the spirit of solidarity. The two-day event kicked off at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium on Saturday, March 7, with remarks from dignitaries -- women leaders including the first vice president of Spain, the governor general of Canada, the prime minister of Mozambique, the vice president of Gambia, the vice president of
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