Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor Blames Spikes in SGBV Cases to Poor Parenting

Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has attributed the increase in Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) to poor parenting, especially by mothers across Liberia.

VP Taylor wants mothers to give more attention to children to minimize the alarming rate of SGBV cases. She claimed if mothers pays proper attention to their children, reports of sexual and Gender Based Violence will not reach the police.

Speaking on Monday, May 23 at the Kofi Anna Training Institute, the Vice President used the medium to call on all women across the country to join the campaign in ensuring that every girl child in the country are taught about gender-based violence.

The program was organized by the Kofi Anna Training Institute with support from the Danish Government; focusing on Gender Based Violence in Liberia. It was attended by top gender advocates other officials.

The Vice President’s comments come in the wake of increasing sexual and gender based violence perpetrated against women and children; mostly by men.

While gender advocates and right-based organizations blame the continued increase in SGBV and rape to lack of political will to implement the laws and policies on the book and the week judicial system in Liberia, the Vice President has consistently blamed the spike in the menace to poor parenting; sometimes angering anti-SGBV campaigners.

It can be recalled in April of this year, the Vice President, appearing on national radio, stated that, while some of the shortcomings are with prosecution, parents are largely to blame for not doing much to protect their children.

“Let’s go back to the homes and let mothers be responsible for what is happening to their children. Sometimes, it is their boyfriends’ raping the children because most times they tend to introduce their boyfriends to their daughters as uncles and those uncles are the ones who are sexually abusing the children at home.”

By:Edwin Battaforyen