In honor of all the grassroots women leaders WCI met during the International Women’s Colloquium in Monrovia earlier this month, we are featuring a community activist and aspiring “Iron Lady.”

Betty Gbean-Harris

President of the Liberian Koyean Women’s Group and WCI training participant

Biography:

Betty Gbean-Harris is the current President of the Koyean Women’s Group in Beatuo Toen, Tappita District, Nimba County, Liberia.  She is a former elementary school teacher at the Ganta United Methodist School.  Ms. Gbean-Harris participated in a WCI-sponsored training to promote the capacity of rural Liberian women in community peace negotiations and mediation.  She organized discussions in several communities about the role women can play in sustaining peace and encouraging inter-tribal reconciliation.

Betty’s Thoughts on Women Worldwide…

My wish for women is ……….. for capable women to be empowered, meaning they have leadership skills comparable with that of their male counterparts.  But, what is most required now, is to help raise their financial status to the point of becoming totally independent in decision making process.

My advice for young women leaders is ……….. to remain focused and above all emulate the good examples of older women whose services have been exemplary.

The reason I am here today is ……… to add my voice to the many voices in the field of advocacy for the advancement of women. I believe women can do even better than their male counterparts if given the same opportunity.

I am most proud of ……….. seeing women becoming leaders of their nations like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the first female President of an African nation. Her election gave encouragement to women to build confidence in themselves that no role is ever impossible for women to perform.

The greatest obstacles that I faced were ……….. that majority of the women are not literate, lack financial power, feel inferior to males in most work places and are in most cases  entrenched to cultural and traditional habits.