𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 (𝗥𝗪𝗟𝗥𝗗) 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁….𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝑳𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Nagbe Koon has reaffirmed the Legislature’s commitment to advancing land rights for rural women following the formal presentation of the 2024 Rural Women Land Rights Day (RWLRD) Report by ForumCiv and a coalition of national and international partners.
The report, delivered to the Speaker at his Capitol Building office on Friday, August 8, 2025, outlines critical recommendations for addressing structural challenges impeding rural women’s access to land. These include policy and legal reforms, institutional strengthening, financial access, resource mobilization, community engagement, and gender-responsive land governance.
Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon lauded the multi-stakeholder collaboration that made the report possible. He extended heartfelt appreciation to ForumCiv, the Multi-Actor Platform on Land Governance and Responsible Agriculture Investment, Landesa, Social Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development, ActionAid Liberia, Parley Liberia, Sustainable Development Institute, Foundation for Community Initiative, and several grassroots women’s organizations.
“This report captures the experiences, challenges, and victories of Liberia’s rural women in their fight for justice, equity, and dignity through land rights,” the Speaker stated. “Today is not merely a ceremonial occasion—it is a call to action.”
He also acknowledged the support of international partners including the Government of Sweden, the Embassy of Ireland, UN Women, UNDP, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Reflecting on the Second National Land Conference and the RWLRD celebration held in Gompa City on September 25, 2024, the Speaker stressed the significance of the event, which gathered 285 participants from across the country.
 He praised the women whose stories of transforming legally acquired land into thriving agricultural enterprises demonstrate the success of legal empowerment and community solidarity.
However, he underscored persisting barriers detailed in the report:• Customary practices that marginalize women and persons with disabilities.• Lack of financial mechanisms to support rural women’s productivity.• Absence of a centralized land dispute tracking system and limited decentralization of the Liberia Land Authority and its Gender Desk.• Under-resourced Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) systems at the community level.
Speaker Koon emphasized that while the 2018 Land Rights Act marked a major milestone, much remains to be done to translate its promise into reality. He endorsed several of the report’s key proposals, including:• The creation of an Agricultural Bank.• Expansion of loan, grant, and technical support programs.• Strengthening of ADR processes, including the passage and implementation of the ADR Act.• Enhanced budgetary allocation for the Liberia Land Authority and its regional offices.
“We must move from policy discussions to concrete actions,” the Speaker said. “As Speaker, I commit to working with my colleagues in the 55th Legislature to implement these recommendations and ensure no Liberian is left behind.”
He concluded by advocating for the formation of a national coalition to track progress, foster accountability, and align advocacy efforts with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Liberia’s ARREST Agenda.
“Together, we can build a future where land governance is just, inclusive, and empowering for all—especially our rural women, youth, and persons with disabilities.”