Gender and Peacebuilding in West Africa: Case Study of Liberia

This study focused on the examination of the nexus or link between gender and peacebuilding in post-conflict Liberia. The war in Liberia experienced gender abuses such as gang rape, torture, killing of women, genital mutilations, forced marriages, conscription of children as soldiers which brought trauma and stigmatization to the victims and the communities which they originated. Peacebuilding is a holistic enterprise that investigates and mitigates both the root and immediate causes of conflict by erecting peace building infrastructures which prevents relapse into fresh violent conflicts. Post-conflict negotiations in Liberia, the rights of women and children to participate fully like men were not respected, women were trampled upon and denied their rights to participation which will proper healing process which peacebulding more attention were given the war lords (men) while women and children who actually suffered most in the war were neglected thereby leaving with the pains and the negative memories of the war. Qualitative approach was used for the study which was sourced from periodicals and libraries and was content analyzed.