The Ministry of National Defense (MoD), in partnership with UN Women, has launched a major nationwide campaign to recruit more women into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), setting an ambitious target of increasing female representation in the military to 40 percent by 2030 as part of efforts to build a more inclusive, professional, and gender-responsive security sector.
The week-long awareness campaign, currently underway across western Liberia, is designed to encourage women and girls to pursue careers in the military while challenging long-held stereotypes that have traditionally portrayed military service as a profession reserved for men.
The initiative forms part of the Government of Liberia’s broader commitment to promoting gender equality, empowering women, and strengthening female participation in national security institutions in line with the country’s development priorities and international commitments on women’s rights and inclusion.
Officials say the campaign seeks not only to recruit more women into the Armed Forces but also to educate communities about the critical role women play in peacebuilding, national defense, leadership, and sustainable development.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, the Acting Director of the Department of Gender and Social Inclusion at the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces of Liberia, Miss Toukpor M. Richards, said the awareness initiative is intended to provide women with accurate information about military careers and encourage qualified Liberians to consider joining the Armed Forces regardless of gender.
“This awareness campaign is designed to help women understand that the Armed Forces of Liberia offers equal opportunities for qualified Liberians, regardless of gender,” Richards said. “We want women to see the military as a place where they can build meaningful careers while serving their country.”
Richards disclosed that the Ministry has adopted a bold Gender Inclusion Policy aimed at significantly increasing women’s participation in the Armed Forces over the next several years.
“Our goal is to increase women’s participation in the AFL to 40 percent by 2030. We believe that greater inclusion of women will strengthen our security institutions and improve national development,” she added.
As part of the outreach campaign, Ministry officials have been engaging rural women in Bomi County, female students at Western Region University, and other young women through focus group discussions, interactive awareness sessions, and community engagements.
Participants are receiving information on the Armed Forces of Liberia’s recruitment requirements, available career opportunities, professional training programs, leadership development pathways, and the wide range of roles women can perform within the military.
Richards urged women not to allow traditional cultural beliefs or gender stereotypes to discourage them from pursuing careers in the country’s security institutions.
“The Armed Forces is not only about combat,” she said. “There are opportunities in administration, engineering, medicine, communications, logistics, education, and many other professional fields. Women have the ability and the right to serve their nation in every capacity.”
Throughout the campaign, officials are emphasizing that modern armed forces require professionals with diverse skills and expertise beyond frontline military operations.
Discussions have highlighted the indispensable role women play in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, leadership, intelligence, administration, logistics, healthcare, communications, and national security decision-making.
According to Ministry officials, increasing female participation will help build a more representative, professional, and operationally effective Armed Forces capable of responding to Liberia’s evolving security challenges while strengthening public confidence in the country’s defense institutions.
The outreach campaign is expected to continue in additional counties across western Liberia, where Ministry officials, UN Women, and other partners will engage community leaders, youth organizations, educational institutions, women’s groups, traditional leaders, and civil society organizations to encourage greater female participation in military service.
Officials believe that support from families and local communities will be critical to overcoming the social and cultural barriers that have historically discouraged many women from considering careers in the military.
Currently, women account for only a small percentage of personnel within the Armed Forces of Liberia, reflecting a broader gender imbalance that exists across many of the country’s security institutions.
To address that disparity, the Ministry of National Defense has been working closely with UN Women and other development partners to implement nationwide awareness campaigns, strengthen community engagement, and develop policies aimed at removing institutional and social barriers preventing women from pursuing military careers.
The latest initiative underscores the Government of Liberia’s continued efforts to build a security sector that reflects the diversity of the population and provides equal opportunities for all qualified citizens.
Officials say expanding women’s participation in the Armed Forces will not only enhance operational effectiveness and institutional professionalism but also strengthen community trust, improve decision-making, advance gender equality, and contribute to sustainable peace, national security, and long-term national development.
As Liberia continues to reform and modernize its security institutions, the Ministry of National Defense says empowering more women to serve in uniform is essential to building an Armed Forces that is inclusive, resilient, and better equipped to meet the country’s present and future security needs.