Working towards gender equality in Liberia, every day of the year

Celebration of International Women’s Day reaches the far corners of Montserrado County, Liberia thanks to Presidential Precinct Alumna N’bete Tomah Smallwood Gizzie and her organization, “The Foundation for the Advancement of Girls”.

N’bete and the Foundation will spend this week just like many others throughout the year – translating into action their vision that “all girls should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.” Their work takes them to rural schools and prisons alike, delivering sanitary pads and sharing opportunities for civic and economic engagement with women and girls. N’bete wants all women to know that they can use their voice to make a difference in their own lives and their communities.

The Foundation for the Advancement of Girls is the sole organization committed to the placement of social workers in schools throughout Liberia. They are also fundraising for the renovation of rural schools in communities where many girls are discouraged from even attending. N’bete has taken a community-based approach to this work by forming relationships with the local elders. Her investment in young girls starts with basic needs: providing meals, teaching life skills, and arranging one-on-one mentorship.

The Foundation has also formed a healthy mothers club where they bring young mothers together for tutoring and childcare. Since introducing these programs, there has been a decrease in maternal and baby mortality and an increase of post-birth mothers returning to school within the area.

As Founder and Executive Director, N’bete has faced countless obstacles, foremost in 2020 being those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, she reminds us to “Live everyday as it comes”, “not get overwhelmed”, and “Face the challenges every day as they arise.” Her work is a testament that we can make big changes in our communities no matter the obstacles we face. Her advice: “Don’t face [the challenges] alone. Face them with your team members.”

N’bete came to the Presidential Precinct in January of 2020 through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), participating in a program entitled “Volunteerism and Civic Action”, and today it comes as no coincidence that the Foundation for the Advancement of Girls leverages a community of volunteers to make its work possible. Later in the year, we were also honored to hear from N’bete in a Presidential Precinct Network Campfire Conversation: “Allies in Gender Equality” where she discussed some of the barriers that women face in obtaining positions of leadership in Liberia.

By the end of 2021, the Foundation for the Advancement of Girls hopes to double their engagement with schools – increasing their supply of sanitary products for girls and, in effect, empowering more young women throughout rural Liberia. Perhaps even more impressive than the quantity of their impact is the quality and consistency of community engagement and women’s empowerment that N’bete and her team have tirelessly constructed just in the past four years. Their passion and commitment reminds us that while celebration of women here on March 8 is important for building awareness, we must honor and acknowledge the work happening all year long to create opportunities for women and girls.