Speaker Koon Craves Greater Women’s Representation in Legislature

House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has reaffirmed his commitment to advancing women’s political leadership in Liberia, calling for urgent reforms to increase their representation in the Legislature. Speaking at the induction ceremony of the Women Legislative Caucus’ new corps of officers in the court yard of the Capitol Building, Speaker Koon emphasized the need for stronger legal measures to reverse the declining number of female lawmakers. In his keynote address, Speaker Koon congratulated the newly inducted officers and expressed deep concern over the low representation of women in the Legislature, which currently stands at 10.7%. He pointed to the absence of legally binding gender quotas as a key barrier preventing women from securing more elected positions.

The Speaker recalled previous unsuccessful attempts to pass gender quotas into law, including efforts in 2004, 2010-11, 2016-17, and 2022-23. He noted that the most recent initiative—the revised Election Law—was introduced in January 2022 but faced resistance in the Senate, where concerns over penalties for noncompliance led to the dilution of key provisions. ”We cannot move ahead as a country and leave behind almost 50 percent of our population who are underrepresented in the Legislature,”Koon declared, urging lawmakers and stakeholders to collaborate in addressing this disparity. As part of his commitment, Speaker Koon announced plans to lead a “He-for-She” campaign, a movement of male champions advocating for gender-inclusive policies. He pledged to mobilize support among his colleagues in both the House and Senate to reintroduce the New Election Law with all gender-sensitive provisions intact. The induction ceremony concluded with renewed pledges from legislators and stakeholders to work toward greater inclusion and representation of women in Liberia’s political space.