By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: Jury selection began Monday in what prosecutors and anti-trafficking advocates describe as Liberia’s largest human trafficking case, nine months after victims, some of the country’s poorest citizens, first filed complaints against the accused perpetrators. Prosecutors and defense lawyers screened prospective jurors at Criminal Court “A” at…
Journalism
When Domestic Violence Destroys a Family, Innocent Children Pay The Price
A five‑year‑old girl in Todee District cries for her parents after witnessing the violence that killed her mother. With her father jailed and no government support, she and her siblings are left destitute, a stark reminder that when domestic violence destroys a family, innocent children pay the price. Joyclyn Wea reports in this social media…
A new generation of male influencers is being asked to confront violence against women and rethink what masculinity means in the social media age.
Violence against women remains a pressing issue in Liberia, but a new generation of male influencers is stepping forward to challenge harmful norms. Through EU‑backed training programs, these young men are learning to rethink masculinity in the social media age and use their platforms to promote respect, equality, and positive change. Joyclyn wea reports in…
Cleaner air, lower costs: Electric bikes find early adopters in Ghana’s north
By Mahmud Mohammed Nurudeen Every morning, Bukari Rahinatu used to ride through clouds of exhaust on her way to work in Ghana’s northeast town bordering Burkina Faso and Togo. The 25-year-old graduate from the University of Education, Winneba, says the smoke from fuel-powered motorbikes became part of daily life in the busy northern town. By…
A new generation of male influencers is being asked to confront violence against women and rethink what masculinity means in the social media age.
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary The video lasted less than two minutes. A young woman walking through Red Light Market in Monrovia was suddenly surrounded by a group of men who tore the clothes from her body. Her offense, they claimed, was, ironically, dressing indecently. Someone filmed the attack. Within hours, the…
TOXIC AIR, BLOCKED AIRWAYS – THE TOLL OF GHANA’S POOR AIR QUALITY ON ASTHMATICS
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH Little Myles has been battling chronic asthma since he was two. Four years on, the boy lives with his single mother Bernice, here along the Pokuase-Nsawam highway. Long delayed road construction has shrouded the nearby communities for four years. That added to the area’s vehicle emissions and fumes from cooking and waste…
The Cost of Silence: Girls Across Liberia Say a Lack of Sex Education Is Changing the Course of Their Lives
Across Liberia, nine out of ten young people grow up without basic sex education, leaving girls vulnerable to teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortions, and poverty. A recent investigation highlights stories like Benetta’s, who became pregnant at 17 without knowing how pregnancy occurs, and Mamia’s, who dropped out of school after early motherhood. With one in three…
11 Indicted in Country’s Biggest Trafficking Ring After FrontPage Africa Investigation Exposed Allegations Bribes Were About to Derail the Case
A grand jury in Monrovia has indicted 11 suspects in Liberia’s biggest human trafficking case to date, after a FrontPage Africa/New Narratives investigation revealed attempts to bribe officials to weaken charges. Prosecutors say the accused lured 57 victims with false promises of jobs abroad, then held them captive in compounds where they were beaten, starved,…
African Development Bank Weighs Into Carbon Trading Debate Rejecting Government Claim that a Policy Was Linked to Bank Support
The African Development Bank has firmly rejected claims that its financial support to Liberia was contingent on the country adopting a carbon trading policy. In a statement, the Bank clarified that its recent financing package focused on fiscal sustainability and governance in the mining sector, with no mention of carbon trading. “Carbon market trading decisions…
African Development Bank Weighs Into Carbon Trading Debate Rejecting Government Claim that a Policy Was Linked to Bank Support
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary On the evening of April 23, a group of ministers and stakeholders – including civil society and community leaders – gathered at a hotel in Monrovia for a stakeholder dinner with the goal of approving Liberia’s draft carbon market policy. The timing was urgent, they were told….
11 Indicted in Country’s Biggest Trafficking Ring After FrontPage Africa Investigation Exposed Allegations Bribes Were About to Derail the Case
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: A grand jury in Monrovia has indicted 11 people accused of operating a sprawling human trafficking ring that prosecutors say lured dozens of Liberians with promises of jobs abroad before holding them captive, extorting money from their families and subjecting some victims to rape and torture….
After Delays and Bribery Allegations, Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Case Goes to Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Ten of the 11 people accused in what prosecutors and anti-trafficking experts describe asLiberia’s largest human trafficking case are scheduled to go on trial Wednesday, weeks after aMontserrado County grand jury indicted them over the alleged trafficking and exploitation of57 poor people from seven of Liberia’s 15…
When Domestic Violence Destroys a Family, Innocent Children Pay the Price
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives MISSION-THIRD, Montserrado County – Esther was 39 years old when she died in her friend’s arms here late last year. Family and neighbors say she had survived years of abuse by her husband. But no help ever came. Her husband is now detained and facing a murder…
The Cost of Silence: GirlsAcross Liberia Say a Lack of Sex Education Is Changing the Course of Their Lives
By Tetee Gebro, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: BENSONVILLE, Montserrado — Benetta was 17 when she first became pregnant. No one had ever explained sex, contraception, or how pregnancy happens to her. People in her community started talking and urged her to visit a clinic. A nurse told her she would be a mother…
Young Liberians Win Historic Taskforce to Fight Sexual Violence — Now Comes the Hard Part
Young Liberians have made history! A new Youth Gender-Based Violence Taskforce has been launched to fight sexual violence across all 15 counties. This bold step empowers young voices to report cases, raise awareness, and demand justice — proving that the future of Liberia is one where survivors are heard and protected. Joyclyn Wea reports in…
Young Liberians Win Historic Taskforce to Fight Sexual Violence — Now Comes the Hard Part
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: When young Liberians marched through the streets of the capital in March demanding stronger action against rape and gender-based violence, many wondered whether the government would simply receive their petition and move on. Less than two months later, the Ministry of Gender has answered that question…
“The Noise Pollution Situation Is Not Under Control,” EPA Launches Crackdown as Experts Call for Public Awareness
Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency has begun a nationwide crackdown on noise pollution, targeting churches, mosques, bars, and entertainment centers that exceed legal sound limits. Backed by police and city authorities, the campaign includes fines and confiscation of loudspeakers, with officials stressing that noise pollution is not just a nuisance but a public health issue. Experts…
“The Noise Pollution Situation Is Not Under Control,” EPA Launches Crackdown as Experts Call for Public Awareness
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, New Narratives climate and environment reporter Summary For decades, noise in Liberia has functioned almost like an unwritten right. Churches and mosques broadcast sermons across entire neighborhoods before the sun is even up. Nightclubs shake communities deep into the night. Generators roar through blackouts. Street parties spill into public space with little regard…
Ex-President Sirleaf Lashes Lawmakers in Capitol Speech, Calls Low Representation of Women Embarrassing
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says Liberia should be ashamed that women occupy only 11 of the 103 seats in the National Legislature — warning that the imbalance is slowing the country’s development and peacebuilding efforts. Women’s rights advocates welcomed her remarks, saying the low representation reflects the continued dominance of male political power…
With Nowhere to House Juveniles an 8-Year-Old Rape Victim Must Live in Same Community as Her Alleged Attacker
In Monrovia, a mother says she is living in fear after the boy accused of raping herdaughter was released and returned to their community — exposing major gaps inLiberia’s justice system. In this collaboration with New Narratives Tetee Gebro has areport. The story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the “Investigating Liberia” project. Funding…
Dispute Between War Crimes Court Office and Justice Minister Spills Into Public View Casting Cloud Over Court
A dispute between the head of the office of Liberia’s war and economics crimes court and senior government officials – including the Justice Minister – has spilled into public view, clouding progress towards Liberia’s efforts to prosecute those most responsible for war crimes committed in the country. In this collaboration with New Narratives, senior justice…