Published: April 14, 2025
MONROVIA — The Government of Liberia (GOL), in collaboration with two United Nations agencies — the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) — has officially launched a €7 million joint initiative titled “Protect, Empower, Nurture – Harnessing the Full Potential of Adolescent Girls in Liberia.” The five-year program, funded by the Government of Ireland, will run from 2024 to 2029.
The landmark initiative was launched Thursday, April 10, 2025, at William V.S. Tubman High School in Monrovia. The event brought together national and international policymakers, civil society organizations, and members of the media.
Giving an overview of the program, Leonard Kamugisha, deputy country representative and officer-in-charge at UNFPA Liberia, emphasized that the collaborative effort will focus its interventions in three key counties: Grand Gedeh, River Cess, and Montserrado. The program will prioritize support for adolescent girls, particularly those most vulnerable and marginalized.
“Our collective expertise and resources will be strategically deployed to achieve lasting and meaningful impact on their lives,” he said. “This is a powerful testament to our shared and unwavering commitment to the health, well-being, and empowerment of adolescent girls across Liberia.”
Kamugisha noted that while Liberia has made significant development progress, adolescent girls continue to face major challenges. He highlighted that 31% of teenage girls experience pregnancy — leading to interrupted education, limited economic opportunities, and increased health risks. Other critical issues include early sexual initiation, limited access to contraception, inadequate sexual and reproductive health services, complications during childbirth, female genital mutilation, and poor nutrition.
The program aims to ensure that 107,501 adolescent girls — especially those most vulnerable — are protected, empowered, and able to access comprehensive social services in safe and inclusive environments, contributing to their overall health, well-being, and development.
Kamugisha further outlined the program’s goal to, by 2029, strengthen the enabling environment, increase service utilization, and enhance girls’ personal agency and leadership. Expected outcomes include reduced teenage pregnancy rates, improved adolescent health and nutrition, expanded access to adolescent-friendly services, increased participation of girls in decision-making at local and national levels, and a shift in harmful social norms through sustained community engagement.
Key government ministries involved in implementing the program include the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Youth and Sports; Ministry of Education; and Ministry of Internal Affairs, among others.
“Protect, Empower, Nurture is more than a program — it is a promise,” Kamugisha declared. “A promise to stand with every adolescent girl in Liberia as she claims her rights, builds her future, and helps lead her country forward. Together, we can ensure that no girl is left behind.”
The program is structured around two main pillars:
— Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) — Promoting a supportive environment and equipping adolescents with vital information, services, and opportunities for empowerment.
— Food Security and Nutrition — Addressing adolescent malnutrition by strengthening national and subnational institutions to support adolescent health and nutrition.
Officially launching the program, Neale Richmond, Ireland’s minister of state for international development and diaspora, emphasized the integrated nature of the initiative.
“Protect, Empower, Nurture combines nutrition, sexual and reproductive health rights, and empowerment, recognizing that none of these challenges can be addressed in isolation,” he said. “With an investment of up to €7 million over the next five years, we hope to directly reach more than 100,000 adolescent girls.”
Richmond urged all stakeholders to commit to the success of the program.
“It’s easy for me to travel here and give a speech,” he said. “But unless each and every one of us pledges to support this effort, the goals will not be achieved.”
“With those words, I have one final formal act before meeting your esteemed president,” he concluded. “Ladies and gentlemen, the program Protect, Empower, Nurture – Harnessing the Full Potential of Adolescent Girls in Liberia is hereby launched.”
In her remarks, Atty. Laura Golakeh, deputy minister of gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, thanked the Irish Embassy and program implementers, stressing that this is a joint effort.
“This is not the work of one institution,” she said. “Line ministries, county authorities, traditional and religious leaders — and most importantly, adolescents and youth themselves — have all been fully engaged.”
Golakeh further emphasized that the initiative aligns with the government’s vision to create a healthier, more equitable, and prosperous Liberia.
“Let us be deliberate and inclusive in our outreach,” she urged. “Let us extend the arms of this program to girls living and working on the streets, those struggling with drug addiction, and those forced into prostitution by desperation or exploitation.”
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