17/09/2025
Gender-Based Violence increases at 39.7% under President Boakai in 2024 as compared to Weah’s 2022 situational GBV Report. Anti-R**e Campaigner Alarms:
In 2022 (not a quarterly report), Liberia recorded a staggering 1,975 GBV cases under former President Weah. This wasn’t a good sign for us as a nation that saw Ex-President Weah as “Heaven sent”, but on the other hand the “Rescue Mission” seems self-defeated to addressing the very GBV cases they criticized and campaigned on to power. In just nine months of 2024, Liberia records 2,759 GBV cases that’s 784 difference. It means, nine months of 2024 GBV report surpasses 2022’s yearly report with seven hundred and eighty four GBV cases. This isn’t politics! This is a raw inference that’s simple interpreting how women and children are often abused from one system to another.
In 2022 Montserrado County stood out dramatically, recording 959 incidents (about 49% of the national total)—over four times higher than the next highest county, Nimba (189 incidents). Other counties with notable totals include Nimba (9.6%), B**g (5.9%), Grand Gedeh (6.2%), and Lofa & Margibi (each around 5%).
Physical assault accounts for 329 cases (17%), making it the second most common category of GBV.
Sexual assault (non-r**e) stood at 145 cases (7%). Denial of resources/opportunities (173 cases) and psychological abuse (12 cases) are much lower, while non-GBV incidents were minimal (4 cases).
The incidence rate per day in 2022 was approximately 5.4 as compared to 2024’s daily incidence rate at about 7.6. Comparatively, of the 2,759 GBV cases of 2024, 68.7% ( 1,902) of all GBV cases occurred in Montserrado which surpasses the total reported category of GBV (959) in Montserrado of 2022 (about 49%).
For facts checking:
https://inquirernewspaper.com/liberia-records-2759-r**e-cases-in-2024-launches-16-days-of-activism/
WHY ARE THERE STILL HIGH RATES OF GBV UNDER PRESIDENT BOAKAI:
There has long been a lack of access to information and reports on gender-based violence (GBV). From time immemorial, governments have feared that sharing detailed GBV situational reports could spark outrage among grassroots movements and women-led organizations. As a result, firsthand reports of GBV cases are more often shared with international NGOs (INGOs) than with local NGOs. Yet the very purpose of making GBV data accessible is to help build a sustainable, multi-stakeholder response—especially among women’s groups such as Community Healthcare Initiative, the Women NGOs Secretariat, the Female Lawyers Association of Liberia, the CSO Council of Liberia, and others.
Liberia has some of the strongest legal instruments to combat r**e and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). For instance, the R**e Law of Liberia, the Children Law of Liberia and the Domestic Violence Act of 2019 are profoundly important to GBV response. However, weak law enforcement continue to undermine their effectiveness. As results, survivors may be discouraged from reporting due to fear of stigma, secondary victimization or retaliation.
Additionally, Political expediency further compounds the problem. Leaders may prioritize short-term political interests over justice, sometimes shielding influential perpetrators or delaying action to avoid public backlash. This combination of enforcement gaps and political considerations weakens the implementation of progressive laws, limiting their impact on reducing GBV.
Case study:
On August 28, 2025, J Bryant Mcgill was reported to Zone 8 ELWA police Depot for allegedly ra**ng a 14-year-old child, the case was referred to Hope for Women for clinical trials and/ or investigation, it was later confirmed and established that the child was r**ed. A leaked audio recording shows that the alleged perpetrator used his power to attempt to compromise a case he was allegedly involved with. From August 28, 2025 to September 17, 2025, the government has not taken immediate action against police preliminary reports and the clinical investigation. This shows how power is used to prevent formal prosecution in a case that involves government officials.
Well, it’s up to the government to damage its reputation and shame those once believed in the rescue mission! But the reality is, R**e is increasing and may lead to a national outrage!
