Women and Girls in Montserrado Take the First Step Toward Economic Empowerment
Monrovia, Montserrado County, Liberia — For women and girls in Block Path Community and Sonkan Town, Montserrado County, the road to acquiring new skills and improving their livelihoods has moved one step closer to reality.
As Youth Crime Watch of Liberia (YCWL) prepares for the full commencement of the Inclusive Skills Training across Lofa, Nimba, and Montserrado Counties, beneficiaries in Montserrado have already come together to officially launch the opening of the training through vibrant, community-based activities.
The opening brought beneficiaries and community members together in Block Path Community and Sonkan Town, where participants took part in a community parade to mark the beginning of the training and create awareness about the opportunities that the programme will provide.
Key Takeaway: The activity was more than a ceremonial opening. It was an opportunity for beneficiaries to come together, learn more about the training, build excitement, and prepare for the regular training activities ahead.
For many of the women and girls involved, the training represents a critical opportunity to acquire practical skills that can help them improve their livelihoods and become more economically independent.
Turning Skills into Opportunities
The Inclusive Skills Training is a Government of Liberia project with funding support from the European Union, implemented by Youth Crime Watch of Liberia (YCWL) with support from UN Women through the Spotlight Initiative 2.0.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to address the economic and social vulnerabilities faced by women and girls, particularly those who have experienced or are at risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other forms of exclusion.
Building Economic Resilience
- Overcoming Vulnerability: Economic vulnerability can make it more difficult for women and girls to make independent choices, access opportunities, and recover from difficult circumstances.
- Practical Learning Tracks: In Montserrado, the training will provide beneficiaries with practical learning opportunities, including:
- Crafts & Artisanal Skills
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Digital Entrepreneurship
- Beyond the Classroom: The objective is to equip participants with practical knowledge and confidence that they can apply in their everyday lives and use as a foundation for future economic opportunities.
Bringing the Programme to the Community
The decision to begin the opening activities directly within the communities was intentional and impactful. Rather than treating the training as an activity that takes place solely at a training centre, the community engagement in Block Path and Sonkan Town allowed beneficiaries and local residents to see and participate in the beginning of the initiative.
The parade also helped draw attention to the vital importance of women’s and girls’ participation in skills development and economic empowerment.
“When communities understand the purpose of such interventions and encourage beneficiaries to participate, women and girls are better positioned to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.”
For the beneficiaries, the opening activity also created a strong sense of ownership. They were not simply being enrolled into a programme; they were actively participating in an initiative designed to respond to their own economic and livelihood needs.
Preparing for the Training Rollout
Following the opening activities, preparations are continuing for the regular Inclusive Skills Training sessions.
The official training is scheduled to commence on Monday, September 14, 2026, with activities being rolled out across the targeted counties. The rollout in Montserrado will be followed by implementation activities in Nimba and Lofa Counties, extending the skills-development opportunity to additional targeted beneficiaries.
More Than a Training Programme
The Inclusive Skills Training is part of a larger effort under Spotlight Initiative 2.0 to address the systemic conditions that contribute to women’s and girls’ vulnerability to violence and inequality.
Skills development alone cannot end violence against women and girls. However, creating opportunities for women and girls to strengthen their economic position contributes directly to greater resilience, autonomy, and personal agency.
For beneficiaries in Montserrado, the opening activity is only the beginning. The real measure of success will be what happens after the training—whether participants are able to apply the skills they acquire, access livelihood opportunities, strengthen their income-generating activities, and use their increased economic capacity to improve their lives and those of their families.
As the programme moves from community mobilisation into regular training, the women and girls of Block Path and Sonkan Town are preparing to take that next step.
A Beginning with Purpose
The parade through the communities may have marked only one day in the implementation calendar, but for the women and girls participating, it represents the beginning of a transformative journey:
- From learning to skills.
- From skills to opportunity.
- From opportunity to greater economic empowerment.
Through the Spotlight Initiative 2.0, YCWL, with support from UN Women, continues to work toward creating meaningful opportunities for women and girls while contributing to the broader goal of preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls.
For the beneficiaries in Montserrado, the message from the opening is simple: The training has begun, the opportunity is here, and the next step is theirs to take.