Maryland Gender Office crippled by budget gaps amid rising gender-based violence

Published: July 11, 2025

HARPER, Maryland County — The Maryland County office of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is struggling to operate amid a funding freeze, severely hampering efforts to respond to rising cases of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, and child abandonment in southeastern Liberia.

Maria Suku, the county’s Gender Coordinator, told The Liberian Investigator in an exclusive interview on July 1 that her office has received no operational budget since February. She said the lack of funding—particularly for transportation—has effectively shut down outreach to rural communities where the majority of abuse cases are reported.

“We’re basically stuck in Harper,” Suku said. “We cannot travel to communities like Barrobo, Karluway, Pleebo, Grand Cavalla, or Harper Fish Town. There’s simply no funding unless the government steps in.”

The logistical paralysis, she added, has left vulnerable women and children in remote towns without access to essential services. “This situation is severely undermining our mandate to safeguard women and children,” she said.

Despite the lack of official support, Suku credited local community members for stepping in. During International Women’s Day in March, her office raised small donations used to assist survivors of domestic violence, provide basic medical care, and conduct outreach in Karloken.

A portion of the funds also supported local organizations. She noted that 10,000 Liberian dollars were allocated to grassroots groups involved in reporting and following up on cases in hard-to-reach areas. But she emphasized that such efforts are inadequate in the face of growing need.

Suku is calling on the national government, local authorities, civil society, and international partners to intervene. She proposed the establishment of a safe home in Maryland County that would offer temporary shelter and recovery services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

“Right now, children who are being abused are often forced to return to the very homes where they were harmed,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

She also highlighted a troubling increase in child abandonment cases in Pleebo, where children are reportedly being rejected by families over accusations of witchcraft or behavioral concerns.

With gender-based violence on the rise and no clear path to restoring operations, Suku said her team remains committed but overwhelmed.

“We are doing our best,” she said. “But the support is not there. If we’re serious about protecting women and children in Maryland County, we need urgent help—now.”