God made woman, then he jerked { 37 images } Created 21 Apr 2013
“God made woman then he jerked”, reads a mural on the street of Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, a country mostly remembered for its fourteen-year civil war in which an estimated 250,000 people lost their lives. As Liberia celebrated its 10th anniversary of peace in summer 2013, and with a woman occupying its highest political office, I was keen to explore the lived experience of a post-war generation of girls growing up among a war-scarred population. I specifically focused on girls living in West Point, one of Monrovia’s townships, but it is important to mention that problems they face are typical for majority of urban population. Only 8 % of Monrovians have access to piped water and 1% to electricity grid. Using generators makes cost of electricity one of the most expensive in the world according to the UN.
Despite the presence of some high profile female figures in Liberia’s politics, the everyday realities and opportunities are very different for the majority of women. Relatively few girls are able to attend school as they find it difficult to reconcile their obligations towards their families and the demands of schooling. Many struggle to afford the obligatory school uniforms and registration fees despite education being (at least in theory) free. Sexual and gender based violence remain major issues, including in Liberia’s educational system, and it is not uncommon for students to be subject to sexual harassment when it comes to exchanging favours for grades. In summer 2013 all 25.000 candidates failed the entry exam to University of Liberia, prompting President Sirleaf to brand national education system as “a mess”.
I hoped this might help shed light on the difficulties and challenges, but also on the resilience and determination, evident in the lives of these young girls as they fight to improve their prospects for the future, often with help of organisations like More Than Me (https://morethanme.org/) which provides scholarships for young girls from West Point and Think Liberia (http://thinkliberia.com/) which works with young victims of sexual and gender based violence.
Despite the presence of some high profile female figures in Liberia’s politics, the everyday realities and opportunities are very different for the majority of women. Relatively few girls are able to attend school as they find it difficult to reconcile their obligations towards their families and the demands of schooling. Many struggle to afford the obligatory school uniforms and registration fees despite education being (at least in theory) free. Sexual and gender based violence remain major issues, including in Liberia’s educational system, and it is not uncommon for students to be subject to sexual harassment when it comes to exchanging favours for grades. In summer 2013 all 25.000 candidates failed the entry exam to University of Liberia, prompting President Sirleaf to brand national education system as “a mess”.
I hoped this might help shed light on the difficulties and challenges, but also on the resilience and determination, evident in the lives of these young girls as they fight to improve their prospects for the future, often with help of organisations like More Than Me (https://morethanme.org/) which provides scholarships for young girls from West Point and Think Liberia (http://thinkliberia.com/) which works with young victims of sexual and gender based violence.
