By Joyclyn Wea, gender and health correspondent with New Narratives Summary: CONGO TOWN, Monrovia — Scientists, health workers and government officials gathered for the Emmet A. Dennis National Scientific Conference, a national gathering of Liberian researchers presenting evidence they hope will shape how the country prevents disease and cares for patients. This is the fifth…
R. Joyclyn Wea
Global Study Shows Most African Workers ‘Struggling’; the Cost is Paid by Teachers, Healthcare Workers Who Hold the Economy Together
By Tetee Gebro and Joyclyn Wea, health and gender correspondents with New Narratives Summary: BENSONVILLE, Montserrado County – Before sunrise, Elaine Duowai prepares lesson notes in a house where electricity is not reliable. By morning, she is walking to Euphemia Barclay Elementary School, where some pupils are already missing from the rows of benches before…
Charlyne Brumskine Becomes First Liberian Woman Appointed to Regional Human Rights Court
Liberian lawyer Charlyne Brumskine has made history as the first Liberian woman appointed to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. In this report, she reflects on the significance of her appointment, the court’s role in protecting human rights across West Africa, and her vision for making regional justice more accessible to ordinary citizens. As Liberia…
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…
After 12 Years, Lansanah Leaves a Lasting Legacy
After 12 years leading Liberia’s National Elections Commission, Davidetta Browne Lansanah has stepped down, leaving behind a record many see as proof of the power of women’s leadership. As a bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Liberia’s Legislature remains stalled in the Senate, advocates point to Lansanah’s successful management of two presidential elections, including…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
Thousands of bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia to assist vulnerable Liberians became the center of a major corruption case that is now nearing its conclusion in Monrovia. But in flood-affected communities in River Cess, some residents say they knew little about the trial and are still waiting for the relief they were promised….
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
The long-delayed trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians is underway in Monrovia, but flood victims in River Cess say justice must go beyond the courtroom. Saudi Arabia donated 29,000 bags of rice in 2023, and prosecutors allege that 25,054 bags, valued at about US$425,918, were stolen, misapplied…
Saudi Rice Trial Goes to Court, But Victims Say They Still Want the Help They Were Promised
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary INTERNATIONAL TIMBER INDUSTRY VILLAGE, River Cess County — When Eric Kollor learned that former government officials were finally on trial over thousands of bags of Saudi-donated rice meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians, he was surprised. The case had been moving through the courts in Monrovia,…
Charlyne Brumskine Becomes First Liberian Woman Appointed to Prestigious Post on West African Regional Court
“I am continuing the legacy of Liberian women who came before me, those who plaited the mat on which I sit. But I am also a forebearer of those who will come after me. I am simply keeping the seat warm for them and providing a blueprint of how Liberian women must represent our country…
Charlyne Brumskine Becomes First Liberian Woman Appointed to Prestigious Post on West African Regional Court
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary When Charlyne Brumskine learned she had been selected to the coveted post as a judge on the Ecowas Community Court of Justice, her thoughts turned to her late father. Charles Walker Brumskine, the prominent lawyer and four-time presidential candidate who died in 2019, had hoped to…
As National Elections Commission Chief Steps Down After 12 Years, Advocates Say She Offers a Powerful Example of Women’s Leadership
Davidetta Browne Lansanah, who stepped down after 12 years as head of Liberia’s National Elections Commission, left behind what advocates call a powerful legacy of women’s leadership. She guided the Commission through two presidential elections, including one of the closest in Liberia’s history, and won public trust by ensuring results were accepted peacefully. “Females have…
As National Elections Commission Chief Steps Down After 12 Years, Advocates Say She Offers a Powerful Example of Women’s Leadership
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: At the Commission, Lansanah worked through 2 presidential elections, disputed results, political pressure, and one of the closest presidential races in Liberia’s recent history when President Joseph Boakai defeated former President George Weah by fewer than 21,000 votes. Advocates said the fact that the country accepted…
“We Have Had So Many Dialogues.” Women Ask Why Their Needs Remain Unsolved
“We have had so many dialogues,” agriculture entrepreneur Nyamah Dunbar told lawmakers, government officials, and development partners gathered in Monrovia last month for the launch of the consultation findings. Echoing her sisters in the survey, she declared: “I am ready for action.” Joyclyn Wea reports in this social media Video. To read more about this…
“We Have Had So Many Dialogues.” Women Ask Why Their Needs Remain Unsolved
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary Liberian women said they are tired of explaining their problems. After years of consultations, meetings, and promises, many of the 160 respondents to a new nationwide consultation across Liberia’s 15 counties said the country’s leaders already know what they need: affordable healthcare, better roads, support for…
As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo
Liberia’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition has spent five years shifting public attitudes, training young people, and building support for reproductive health. Despite these achievements, the coalition’s central demand—the inclusion of abortion access in the stalled Public Health Bill—remains unresolved due to Senate delays, leaving women vulnerable and pushing activists to call for stronger local…
As Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition Marks Five Years, Senate Delay Keeps Abortion Provision of Public Health Bill in Limbo
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Five years ago, organizations working on sexual and reproductive health across Liberia reached the same conclusion: acting alone was not enough. With funding from the Swedish government, they formed the Amplifying Rights Network, a coalition that has since trained community leaders, mobilized thousands of citizens, and…
As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny
Liberia’s new five‑year, US$124 million health compact with the U.S. is drawing sharp scrutiny as other African nations reject similar deals over concerns about data sovereignty, specimen sharing, and funding obligations. Civil society groups warn that the agreement could give U.S. entities long‑term access to sensitive health information without adequate safeguards, while shifting financial burdens…
As Other African Nations Reject U.S. Health Deal, Liberia’s Agreement Faces New Scrutiny
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Ghana has become the third African country to reject a proposed U.S. health agreement, with government officials saying the deal would have given U.S. entities broad access to sensitive national health data, including metadata and analytical tools, without sufficient safeguards or prior approval. The deal included provisions that…
In Major Shift, Coalition of Religious Leaders Urges Passage of Bill to Extend Abortion Access
Liberia’s Inter-Religious Council, the umbrella body representing the country’s major Christian and Muslim institutions, is urging lawmakers to pass a stalled health bill that would expand access to abortion in certain cases, breaking with years of opposition to the measure by religious leaders. Supporters say the bill is needed to reduce deaths and injuries from…
As Vaccine Aid Is Cut, a Remote Measles Outbreak Shows What’s at Risk
By Tetee Gebro and Joyclyn Wea, gender and health correspondents with New Narratives Summary KIANGIA TOWN, Todee District — The measles came to this town in January. Nobody announced it. Nobody warned families here. It moved quietly from home to home, the way measles does — through the air, between children playing; spreading before anyone understood…
In Major Shift, Coalition of Religious Leaders Urges Passage of Bill to Extend Abortion Access
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: In a major boost to efforts to pass a health bill that would expand access to abortion in Liberia, the Inter-Religious Council, the umbrella body representing the country’s major Christian and Muslim institutions, has called on lawmakers to pass the legislation, breaking with years of religious…