May 16, 2025-Monrovia: Liberia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Wilmot Paye, has stressed the need to increase women’s participation in water resources management in the Mano River Union basin, describing their role as critical in decision-making. Speaking through the Director of the Liberia Hydrological Service (LHS) of the Mines and Energy Ministry, Wynitta Gwaikolo-Mayson, at a recently held two-day workshop in Kakata, Margibi County, Minister Paye said women are important to water collection, usage, and conservation at the household and community levels.
Organized by the LHS in collaboration with the Mano River Union (MRU), with support from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (UICN), the gathering addressed several issues concerning gender mainstreaming in transboundary water resources management, and brought together stakeholders including the Deputy Secretary General for Administration and Finance of the MRU, Alhaji Mamady Dioumessy.
Minister Paye called for a change of approach in women having “little or no-say” in decision-making processes relating to water resource management, and noted that empowering them through leadership and participation in governing the sector will stimulate more effectiveness and lead to equitable water management outcomes at national and transboundary levels.
“This is why we believe that this workshop for female actors in the Mano and Moa/Makona Transboundary River Basins will strengthen women's leadership roles and enhance their participation in trans-boundary water resource management, thereby contributing to an integrated water resource management, sustainable development and regional cooperation”; he asserted.
Minister Paye underscored that with the responsibility to manage Liberia’s water resources through the Liberia Hydrological Service (LHS), the Ministry of Mines and Energy, values the Integrated Water Resource Management policy, and understands the need to act swiftly in “managing our water resources, and the importance of gender-inclusion and gender-mainstreaming in water management and the positive results it produces.”. In actualizing gender mainstreaming in water resources management, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has a female as the Director of the Liberian Hydrological Service. The May 8 – 9, 2025 workshop signified another step forward by the Government of Liberia in building the capacity of Water Engineers, and Technicians.
MME PUBLIC RELATIONS