NEW YORK, September 21, 2026 — Liberia is moving to make women, peace and security a permanent national investment, with the government signaling that the agenda must be backed by domestic resources rather than relying primarily on donor-funded projects.
Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan II made the declaration Monday at a high-level side event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, themed “From Pioneers to Global Leaders: Liberia’s Journey in Women, Peace and Security.”
Minister Ngafuan said Liberia’s commitment to women’s peace and security must ultimately be reflected in the national budget if it is to be sustained.
“If women’s peace and security is truly a national priority, then it must eventually find expression in the national budget,” he said.
The Finance Minister acknowledged the importance of development partners in supporting Liberia’s women-focused programs but stressed that external assistance should complement, rather than replace, national ownership.
He pointed to Liberia’s own history as a reason for making women’s peace and security a national investment.
According to Ngafuan, Liberian women were not merely affected by the country’s 14-year civil conflict but played a central role in the struggle for peace.
“They organized, mobilized, and helped bring an end to the 14 years of civil conflict,” he said, emphasizing that women’s peace and security therefore cannot be treated simply as another development project.
Gender to Shape National Planning
Ngafuan said the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is pursuing the government’s commitment through gender-responsive planning and budgeting, or GRPB, which seeks to connect policy commitments directly to government resource allocation.
He said gender has been placed on Liberia’s national development agenda as a cross-cutting priority, meaning responsibility for advancing women’s issues extends beyond the Ministry of Gender.
“Education has a responsibility. Health has a responsibility. Agriculture has a responsibility. Justice and the security sector have responsibilities,” Ngafuan said, adding that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning also has a responsibility.
The minister disclosed that nine government entities are currently institutionalizing gender considerations through GRPB.
Gender Ministry Budget Nearly Doubles
One of the clearest indicators of the government’s approach, according to Ngafuan, is the increase in funding for the Ministry of Gender.
He said the ministry’s budget has risen from approximately US$2.35 million in 2023 to about US$4.21 million currently.
Ngafuan said the government intends to increase support further, linking the expansion to Liberia’s broader commitment to women, peace and security.
“Plans without budgets are aspirations. Budgets are where governments reveal their real priorities,” he declared.
Second Budget Deep-Dive Planned
The minister also disclosed that the government has already begun deeper budget discussions with the Ministry of Gender as part of the ongoing budget preparation process.
He said the Finance Ministry will continue working with the Gender Ministry to ensure that priorities contained in the draft treaty are reflected in national resource allocation.
Minister Ngafuan disclosed that a first “deep-dive” session has already been held, with a second session expected as government works to determine how support to the sector can be scaled up.