By Fatu Kamara with New Narratives Summary: KAKATA, Margibi County — By the time Kolubah Kollie scraped together the last of the money, his daughter was already gravely ill. Zoe Kollie, 29, had been in labor for eighteen hours, some of it endured as she traveled over unpaved roads, when her family finally got her…
Thousands of Liberian Women Suffer a Preventable Birth Injury While Care Lags Decades Behind
Thousands of Liberian women suffer silently from obstetric fistula, a preventable childbirth injury that leaves them leaking urine or feces for years, often in isolation, because maternal health care in Liberia lags decades behind. Despite the fact that 80% of cases could be prevented with timely medical care, limited facilities, poor referral systems, and lack…
Taxed Into Shame: Ghana Gives Free Pads, Liberian Girls Cut Up Diapers
In Liberia, many schoolgirls are forced to cut baby diapers in half or use cloth during their periods because sanitary pads are taxed at 30 percent, making them unaffordable. While Ghana has already taken bold steps to provide free pads to schoolgirls, Liberia’s proposed bill to remove taxes on menstrual products remains stalled in committee,…
Government Announces Probe of Allegations of Bribery in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Liberia’s government said on Tuesday that it will investigate bribery allegations connected to the country’s largest human trafficking trial, which is now in its second week. Sumo C. Kutu Akoi, a senior human trafficking prosecutor, when asked about the prospect of a probe, told FrontPage Africa/New Narratives that…
Taxed Into Shame: Ghana Gives Free Pads, Liberian Girls Cut Up Diapers
By Joyclyn Wea, gender correspondent with New Narratives Summary: CESTOS CITY, River Cess County — W. knows what to do when her period comes, and there is no money for pads. She buys baby diapers. We are calling all the girls in the story by their initials to prevent them from further stigma and shame….
Three More Defendants Plead Guilty in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial
Three additional defendants have pleaded guilty in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, marking another significant step in the country’s fight against modern slavery. Their admissions of guilt underscore the gravity of the charges and strengthen the prosecution’s case against remaining defendants. This development highlights Liberia’s growing commitment to tackling human trafficking, ensuring accountability, and delivering…
Global Conflict, Local Crisis: Rising Prices Hit Liberia’s Market Women
In Monrovia, market women say rising prices are making it harder to survive — with fewercustomers and shrinking profits. As the US/Israeli standoff with Iran continues to block as much as 20 percent of the globalsupply of fuel and fertilizer, experts warn worse is yet to come. In this collaboration with New Narratives, Tetee Gebro…
Witness Leaves the Stand to Identify Defendants One by One, Recounts Abuse and Calls Them ‘Wicked People’ in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: In a dramatic testimony in Liberia’s largest human-trafficking case, a key prosecution witness left her wooden chair in the courtroom and walked—about five steps—to the defendants’ dock to identify the remaining men and women on trial. The witness, identified as L., to protect her from…
“Doctors thought I smoked weed”: the women trapped in Ghana’s charcoal trade
Margaret Awuni sits close to a heap of burning wood, her face masked by despair. Thick smoke curls around her as she coughs again and again as the wood burns down to charcoal that she then sells to workers here. Awuni, 48, has been doing this work since she lost her job as a trader…
In Stunning Development Accused Trafficker Pleads Guilty, Testifies Against Co-Defendants in Country’s Largest Trafficking Trial
In a dramatic twist during Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, one of the accused traffickers stunned the court by pleading guilty and testifying against her co-defendants. Her confession and cooperation mark a pivotal moment in the landmark case, which involves dozens of victims and multiple defendants, signaling a potential breakthrough in the country’s fight against…
In First Day of Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial, Victim Breaks Down During Testimony and Identifies Alleged Rapist
On the opening day of Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial, the courtroom fell silent as one of the 57 alleged victims broke down in tears, pointing to defendant Daniel Davis and accusing him of drugging and raping her after promising to help her travel abroad. Her emotional testimony highlighted the scale of the case, which…
Three More Defendants Plead Guilty in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives Summary: Day three of this mammoth human trafficking trial with 57 victims and 27 defendants started with more drama as three more defendants pleaded guilty Thursday, claiming they were victims who had been coerced into recruiting others. They made the admissions in a bid to win clemency from prosecutors…
Liberia’s War Crimes Push Revives as Boakai Receives Draft Laws After
President Joseph Boakai has now received draft laws that could pave the way for theprosecution of atrocities committed during the country’s brutal civil wars.But beneath the ceremony and symbolism lies a fierce struggle over funding, politics andaccountability — one that could determine whether Liberia finally confronts its violent past ordelays justice once again.In this collaboration…
Rights Chief Faults Country on Corruption as U.N. Justice Training
Liberia’s human rights chief is warning that corruption is not just a governance problem — but athreat to justice and human rights.The warning comes as the United Nations begins training prosecutors and investigators to handlecorruption cases in a new way to investigate and try corruption cases for the new anticorruption andeconomic crimes courts set to…
In Stunning Development Accused Trafficker Pleads Guilty, Testifies Against Co-Defendants in Country’s Largest Trafficking Trial
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent with New Narratives A stunning turn in Liberia’s largest human trafficking trial unfolded Wednesday as one of the 12 defendants pleaded guilty and took the stand against her co-defendants. Moments before proceedings resumed in the morning, Shelley Jonny, dressed in a blue prison uniform, moved from the dock to address the…
In First Day of Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial, Victim Breaks Down During Testimony and Identifies Alleged Rapist
By Anthony Stephens, senior justice correspondent and New Narratives editors Summary: One of 57 alleged victims in the country’s largest human-trafficking case broke down during her testimony in open court, crying as she described how the man she identified—Daniel Davis—raped her after putting a drug in her drink in one of the trial’s most dramatic opening moments. After…
Thousands of Liberian Women Suffer a Preventable Birth Injury While Care Lags Decades Behind
By Augusta S. Lafalay with New Narratives Summary: For fourteen years, S. said she woke up every morning to wet and smelly sheets. She had no name for what was wrong with her. She had no doctor to visit, no clinic that could help. All she had was shame — and silence. It started with…
New Narratives Liberia is recruiting a Board Treasurer
The Treasurer of the Board of Directors (the “Board Treasurer”) is an independent member of the Board of Directors (the “board”), elected annually by the Board of Directors. The Board Treasurer serves at the pleasure of the board. Position Summary As a partner to the board chair, other board members, and executive director, the Board…
Jury Selection Begins in Liberia’s Largest Human Trafficking Trial as Defendants Plead Not Guilty
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…
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…