Countries
Liberia

The Republic of Liberia is located in West Africa. The President is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, elected in 2005, the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa.

Liberia has been afflicted by two recent civil wars (1986-1996 and 1999-2003), which created a large amount of refugees and left the economy utterly destroyed.

The government under President Sirleaf is making progress in creating legislation that respects human rights and allows the population better access to social rights, like healthcare and primary education.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has achieved significant progress, even if the concluding report released in June 2009 was controversial because of its recommendation to introduce a court to prosecute and fine supporters of former fighting parties, including the President.

President Johnson Sirleaf has acted to confront violent crimes during her term. However, the death penalty has been reintroduced for homicides committed during armed robberies. Her government has also created a special court for rape and sexual harassment, ongoing issues that affect women in Liberia.

In February 2009, the first all female peacekeeping unit, from India, arrived in Liberia as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The mission was renewed in September 2009 and at the end of the year included 11,000 peacekeeping units.