Source: The New Dawn
The Minister of Labour ,Cllr. F. Juah Lawson, has said that no nation thrives well when its women are suppressed and kept outside the epicenter of national decision-making.

She has said the strength of a nation's democracy is guaranteed more by the participation of its women in all aspects of the running of the nation; since in fact, women are trusted to take care of homes, raise children, etc. So, women can be trusted to champion the destiny of a nation in a way that prevents crisis and maintains peace.

Minister Lawson made these assertions on Thursday, March 06, 2014 when she served as an Inspirational Speaker at a program organized for the celebration of International Women Day at the D. Tweh High School in the Borough of New Kru Town.

The Labour Minister noted that the history of women's struggle for greater rights has been long and tedious, from antiquity to the middle ages, down to the current epoch of globalization bolstered by innovations in information technology; women have continued to face different degrees of discrimination by their stronger counterparts in society.

She said despite few gains in the recent past, the social-economic gap between men and women in Liberia still exists. Evidences have shown that girls are more likely to be either illiterate or school dropouts, but less likely to enter a university than boys. She called on girls in the country to move with the fast pace of the changing times in Liberia or be left behind to take refuge under the leaking roofs of flimsy excuses.

"Apart from Susannah Lewis and her counterparts who designed the Liberian Flag; A. Doris Banks Hanries who penned the unfolding of history in Liberia; Futu Gayflor or Amb. Maron Cassell, who sings scintillating melodies that have continued to thrill the hearts of many, there are still thousands of Liberian women with gifts and talents yet to be discovered or tapped. So as we celebrate International Women's Day, we admonish all Liberian girls to explore the deep recesses of their talents without fear or intimidation".

Minister Lawson maintained that though Liberian women are pleased with how far they have come in terms of participation in the decision-making of the community and of the state, the journey ahead is still far. "So we say rest not, sleep not until all forms of abuses, marginalization against women in Liberia and the rest of the world come to an end" she added.

For his part, the Principal of D. Tweh High School, Mr. Edwin S. Nagbe called on girls students to take a cue from the Minister's message by attaching seriousness to their studies. He lauded the Minister for responding to their invitation and her inspirational message to the students which he noted will help to courage them in their studies and future career.

• Liberia