By: Aaron Patrick Mansaray
Abstract
Rape and sexual assault are frequent in the post-conflict era in Liberia. Liberia has one of the highest incidences of sexual violence against women in the world. Rape is the most frequently reported crime, accounting for more than one-third of sexual violence cases.
Adolescent girls are the most frequently assaulted, and almost 40% of perpetrators are adult men known to victims. The sexual scandal involving Katie Meyler’s More Than Me Foundation (MTMF) in Liberia was a major international incident that led to the collapse of the highly-regarded organization.
Introduction
The anti-rape movement is a sociopolitical movement which is part of the movement seeking to combat violence against and the abuse of women.
The movement seeks to change community attitudes to violence against women, such as attitudes of entitlement to sex and victim blaming, and attitudes of women such as self-blame for violence.
It seeks to promote changes to rape laws or laws of evidence which enable rapists to avoid penalties because, for example, victims are discouraged from reporting assaults, or because the rapist is entitled to immunity or because a rapist (as a defendant) is capable in law of denigrating the victim.
The movement has been successful in jurisdictions, though many attitudes still persist, and despite changes to laws and significant increases in reporting of assaults, violence against women still persists at high levels.
The movement came about in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when new concepts of rape arose out of second wave feminism and the reevaluation of women’s daily lives socially and with regard to the social institutions with which they interact. Prior to this reexamination, rape had been viewed as a “sex crime carried out by pathological men”, who were unable to control their own sexual desires. Feminists began to emphasize the role of power dynamics specifically with regard to the perpetration of rape as a crime committed primarily by men against women.
This revised definition of rape was reframed from the perspective of the victim. The act of rape was asserted to be a way in which societal gender roles, the way someone acts out either masculinity or femininity, were enforced and the hierarchy of power placing males above females was maintained. Rape was thus defined as a form of violence used to ensure male power, a form of social control over women and children.
Known as the “anti-rape” or “rape prevention” movement, it was founded with the conceptions that sexual violence and violence against women more generally, is a tool of social control used to keep women in a subordinate position to men and that women need to take action, that aids victims of sexual violence to become “survivors” of violence instead of victims.
The anti-rape movement continues, with growing awareness in the United States public about the concept of rape culture, coinciding with the increasing popularity of feminism.
The extent of gender inequalities varies throughout Liberia in regard to status, region, rural/urban areas, and traditional cultures. In general, women in Liberia have less access to education, health care, property, and justice when compared to men. Liberia suffered two devastating civil wars from 1989–1996 and 1999–2003.
The wars left Liberia nearly destroyed with minimal infrastructure and thousands of dead. Liberia has a Human Development Report ranking of 174 out of 187 and a Gender Inequality Index rank of 154 out of 159.
Liberian women, 2008.
Despite the progress of Liberia’s economy since the end of its second civil war in 2003, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world today with high levels of poverty and deprivation, exacerbated by economic crises and increasing food prices.
Post-War Gender Violence Outcome
After the wars ended, the opening ceremony of the peace negotiations was held on June 4, 2003, in Ghana, Liberia. A significant issue during these negotiations for peace is that there were none addressing the sexual violence crimes suffered by both women and children, land rights or even a discussion to include women’s rights to education, despite five women being present during these negotiations.
Despite Liberia passing the Rape Amendment Act in 2006 to impose stricter punishments and offering no bail to accused rapists, it was found that many women’s groups had never even seen the new law.
One solution that was offered in December 2008 was the creation of a rape court in order to fast track rape cases to give the victims closure. However, due to the weaknesses and corruptions of the court system, many victims and their families were reluctant to press charges due to the system ruling in favor of men. While this is a step to improve the quality of life for women it does not solve the problem of sexual violence.
Feminist movement
In 1920 the women’s movement organized in the National Liberian Women’s Social and Political Movement, who campaigned without success for women’s suffrage, followed by the Liberia Women’s League and the Liberian Women’s Social and Political Movement; in 1946, limited suffrage was finally introduced for women of the privileged Libero-American elite, and expanded to universal women’s suffrage in 1951.
Rape in modern-day Liberia is considered a severe, widespread, and persistent crisis, often described by officials and international observers as a “national emergency”. Despite the end of the civil war over two decades ago, the country continues to grapple with high rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), with a significant majority of victims being children.
Data on Recent Rape Cases
2024 Surge: Between January and October 2024, Liberia recorded 2,759 rape cases, according to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Daily and Regional Incidence: During this period, reports averaged approximately 9 rape cases per day, with Montserrado County (containing the capital, Monrovia) accounting for roughly 68.7% of the total cases.
Victim Demographics: Over 80% of survivors are children.
Historical Context: In 2020, President George Weah declared a national emergency on rape after a sharp increase in cases, particularly during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Challenges and Contributing Factors
Culture of Impunity: Despite legal reforms, prosecution rates for rape cases remain low, leading to a high sense of impunity for perpetrators.
“Compromising” Cases: Victims and their families often face pressure to settle cases out of court due to community stigma, financial desperation, or lack of trust in the judicial system.
Weak Judicial Infrastructure: Inadequate court infrastructure, poor forensic capacity, and limited technical resources hinder the swift and fair prosecution of offenders.
Societal Norms: Misogyny and, in some cases, traditional beliefs contribute to the persistence of the issue.
Government and International Response
Legal Action: The government has established specialized courts (Criminal Court E) to handle sexual offenses.
Action Plans: National SGBV roadmaps have been implemented to create community-based response mechanisms.
Advocacy: International organizations (such as UN Women) and local NGOs are actively working to provide support for survivors and train community leaders to combat harmful practices.
While the government has taken steps to address these crimes, the high volume of cases, particularly against minors, continues to strain the nation’s legal and social protection systems.
Conclusion
Minimizing rape involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on education, legal reform, and social change to address root causes, improve victim support, and challenge rape culture.
Key strategies include enacting consent-based laws, implementing rape shield laws, raising awareness through education, improving conviction rates, and providing specialized care for victims.
Minimizing rape involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on education, legal reform, and social change to address root causes, improve victim support, and challenge rape culture. Key strategies include enacting consent-based laws, implementing rape shield laws, raising awareness through education, improving conviction rates, and providing specialized care for victims.
