Gender Ministry Launches US$58.7 Million Five-Year Strategic Plan

Monrovia, Liberia: The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has launched a five-year strategic plan 2026-2030, a roadmap that outlines improvements for major priorities across Liberia.

The plan, estimated to cost US$58.667 million, seeks to improve services for women, children and other vulnerable groups in the country.

It also focuses on enhancing institutional capacity, gender equality, social protection and prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence.

Speaking at the launch, Gender Minister Gbeme Horace Kollie said the plan must translate policy commitments into practical improvements in the lives of vulnerable people.

She emphasized that implementation would require adequate financing, stronger coordination, political commitment and sufficient institutional capacity.

Kollie said the Ministry’s success should be measured by the impact of its programs on the people it serves, particularly women, children, survivors of violence and vulnerable families.

“Women must experience greater protection and opportunity. Children must benefit from stronger safeguarding systems. Survivors must have improved access to timely, dignified, and appropriate services,” Kollie said.

She called for collective action among government institutions, development partners and civil society organizations to ensure that the plan delivers measurable results.

CSA Director General Launches Plan

Civil Service Agency Director General Dr. Josiah Jokai officially launched the strategic plan, highlighting the importance of institutional planning, resource mobilization and accountability in achieving the Ministry’s objectives.

Jokai said the plan provides long-term direction for the Ministry and helps align institutional priorities around shared goals.

He highlighted areas including women’s economic empowerment, political participation and leadership, gender-based violence prevention and response, education, health and improved social protection services.

The CSA Director General also commended the Ministry’s technical team for developing a framework that outlines implementation costs across operational areas, including research, monitoring and evaluation, human resource management, social protection and systems development.

Ministry Estimates US$58.7 Million for Implementation

Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning Curtis Dorley disclosed that implementing the plan over the five-year period is estimated to cost US$58.667 million.

He said the projected amount covers nationwide service delivery, child and social protection programs, sexual and gender-based violence interventions, institutional capacity development and data systems.

Dorley stressed that adequate funding would be essential to achieving the plan’s objectives.

“Without funding, strategic plans are mere aspirations. With proper financing, they are instruments of lasting transformation,” he said.

He called on government institutions and development partners to align their funding priorities with the plan and support its implementation.

According to Dorley, the strategic plan was developed through a consultative process conducted between February and November 2025. The process included institutional capacity assessments across Liberia’s 15 counties and consultations with government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, community leaders, women’s networks, youth groups and disability rights organizations.

Four Pillars to Guide Implementation

Dorley said the plan is organized around four pillars: strong institutions and sound governance; protection and empowerment; evidence and learning; and sustainability through strategic resource mobilization.

The pillars are intended to strengthen the Ministry’s institutional systems, improve protection services, promote the use of data in decision-making and support the mobilization of resources needed to sustain its programs.

The framework is also aligned with the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, particularly its focus on inclusive development, gender equality, social protection and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups.

Dorley urged the Ministry’s departments, divisions and project units to align their annual work plans and operational budgets with the strategic framework, stressing that it should guide daily operations and accountability.

Jokai similarly emphasized the importance of aligning institutional priorities and resources to support implementation, while Kollie called for the political commitment and collaboration needed to turn the plan’s objectives into results.

The plan is expected to guide the Ministry’s work through 2030. Its impact will depend on the mobilization of the estimated US$58.667 million and the ability of the Ministry and its partners to translate the stated priorities into measurable improvements in protection, access to services and economic opportunities for vulnerable people across Liberia.