By Henry Gboluma | Gbarpolu Correspondent
Gbarma, Gbarpolu County |May 12, 2026| ActionAid Liberia and partners have launched the first county-based feminist movement in Gbarpolu, marking a major step for women’s rights organizing in Western Liberia.
Several residents, joined by delegates from the Swedish Embassy, County Superintendent Sam Zinnah, commissioners, traditional leaders, and youth groups, graced the launch in Gbarma District on May 1, 2026,
The Gbarma District Feminist Movement is a network of about 100 women drawn from grassroots structures women’s groups, rural farmers, and community members who were trained under the Just and Equal Communities (JEC) Project by Domafeign Organization.
After completing movement-building training in 2025, the women committed to stand in solidarity for their rights, including sexual and reproductive health rights, leadership, and decision-making, and to speak out against patriarchy in Gbarpolu according to Boimah Colman, Executive Director of Domafeign
The Movement was officially presented to stakeholders at the event organized in Gbarma on May 1, 2026.
Women’s Call to Action:
Building on the momentum, the Gbarma District Feminist Network Movement Women’s Organization issued a direct statement to county authorities, urging them to move “beyond promises” and take concrete steps for women and girls.
The women demanded stronger enforcement of laws against violence and harmful traditional practices, specifically calling for the total eradication of FGM.
They pressed local and traditional leaders to open more space for women’s participation and leadership in community governance, insisting women be recognized as “equal partners in peace.”
The group also called for greater recognition and support for grassroots women-led organizations, citing their key role in mobilizing communities and driving change.
Praising partners ActionAid, CIDA, and Domafeign, the Movement highlighted how the JEC Project trained women and built feminist networks across the county.
“We say bravo to our partners,” their statement read, while urging sustained partnership and increased support.
“Our demand is clear: Protect women’s rights. End harmful practices. Empower women. Support women’s leadership. Invest in women’s health and dignity,” the women declared.
The statement was formally presented to County Superintendent Sam Zinnah by Movement Secretary Jenneh V.H. Folley.
Meanwhile, during the event, ActionAid Liberia’s Country Director, Elizabeth Gbah Johnson, told the gathering that the movement has demonstrated what ActionAid is all about.
She said that when the project started, most people did not believe it. But she later admitted that “we know changing minds is not easy. It’s a process, and this is what we have resulted in to.”
For his part, Superintendent Sam K. Zinnah, thanked ActionAid Liberia and the Swedish Embassy for empowering Gbarpolu women under the JEC project.
He said that women and children are the most vulnerable and the most affected problems we face in society today. He said that one man can father children here and there, then abandon the woman and the children, leaving them to suffer.
The county leadership pledged full support to the new movement and to upholding women’s rights across Gbarpolu.
