SONA: President Boakai Get His Fact About the Progress of Women in Government?

 Claim:  “Women make 39 percent in ministerial positions and 31% in deputy minister positions and local governance makes 40 percent of all appointments.”

Source: President Joseph N. Boakai

Verdict: President Boakai is correct about the percentage of women appointed to senior-level roles in his Go UN Women-Beijing +30 National Review Report dated September 2024 government.

Full- Text: President Boakai, during the State of the Nation  Address, said his administration strides in promoting gender equality. As of recent reports, women occupy 39 percent of ministerial positions and 31 percent of deputy minister positions.

According to the Data Hub for Women’s Leadership in Public Governance, during the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration, there were 19 cabinet minister positions, of which five (5) were occupied by women (26.3 percent), while 15 women served as deputy cabinet ministers.

The Senate contains 30 seats, two of which were occupied by women (6.7 percent), while the House of Representatives contains 73 seats, eight of which were occupied by women (11 percent).

Verification: To verify this claim, we reviewed publicly available data from reliable sources regarding the percentage of women in ministerial positions, deputy minister positions, and local governance appointments. 

We reviewed and discovered that “women now hold 30 percent of 20 ministerial posts, 31% of 62 deputy minister positions, and 26 percent of 95 assistant ministers. 

The report furthered that in local government as of 2024, women hold 11 percent of statutory positions, marking a slight increase from 8.5 percent in 2017. Similarly, women make up 8.2 percent of chieftaincy positions in 2024, which is raised from 4.6 percent in 2017. In the Judiciary Branch of Government, women constitute 60 percent of the Supreme Court Justices. 

Esther S. Davis-Yango, Executive Director of the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), said historically, Liberia has made strides in increasing female participation in governance, with notable progress in previous administrations. 

She said under the current government, there has been a notable commitment to gender inclusion. 

“This administration has appointed 7 women out of 19 cabinet ministers, constituting 37.8 percent female representation in the cabinet. This is a considerable improvement compared to some past administrations, reflecting a stronger push toward gender balance in leadership, she said.”

Davis-Yango said while progress is evident, challenges remain. “Women in government often face systemic barriers, including societal biases and limited access to political networks. Increasing female representation is also about ensuring that women in leadership have the influence and resources to drive meaningful policy changes.”

According to her, women in government play a crucial role in shaping inclusive policies, advocating for social justice, and addressing issues that disproportionately affect women and children. 

“A diverse leadership ensures broader perspectives in decision-making, leading to more comprehensive and equitable governance. While Liberia is making progress, sustained efforts are needed to ensure that gender equality in leadership is not just a momentary achievement but a lasting norm.”

Berttee Forkpabio, Youth Education and Humanity of Liberia, said this government has more women representation than past governments. However, women's representation is still low, indicating low gender representation. 

“But many women are being appointed by the president Boakai rather than other government appointments. As we speak with the local chiefdom, more counties like Grand Gedeh, Bomi, and Gbarpolu were highly traditional chiefs of men power.”

She links the gain to women's advocacy for women's rights. Some of these women are being appointed as commissioners and statutory superintendents like Bomi and Gbarpolu, the first of their kind, and some are city mayors, general town chiefs, and paramount chiefs.

Munah Kieh Kelly, a women's rights activist, said as of February 2025, women's representation has seen a slight increase compared to the previous administration. Following the 2023 general elections, women occupy approximately 10.7 percent of the seats in the national legislature, with seven women elected: six in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate. 

She added that the total number of women in the legislature is 11: three in the Senate and eight in the House of Representatives.

On cabinet appointment, Kieh-Kelly said President Joseph Boakai's administration made moderate efforts to enhance female representation. 

“Out of 237 appointments to ministerial and other governmental positions, 57 have been women, accounting for 24 percent of the total appointments.  While this indicates progress, the overall representation of women in Liberia's government remains below the desired threshold, highlighting the need for continued efforts to promote gender equality in political participation,” she said.

Conclusion: Based on the review of all data provided by authoritative sources—UN Women—Beijing, the claim made by President Boakai that women in ministerial positions, deputy ministerial positions, and local governance is partly true.