Building an inclusive electoral system begins long before Election Day. It starts with examining whether the laws, regulations and administrative procedures governing elections provide an equal opportunity to every citizen - women, youth and persons with disabilities to participate.

The Board of Commissioners and senior management of the National Elections Commission (NEC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD), electoral experts and civil society representatives convened a technical debriefing on the findings of the Gender and Inclusion Analysis of Liberia’s Electoral Legal and Regulatory Frameworks. The session reviewed recommendations on Liberia’s electoral laws and NEC regulations while identifying practical actions to strengthen inclusion across the electoral process.

The engagement was supported through the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP), managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), with support from the European Union, Irish Aid and Sweden.

Opening the session, Commissioner Josephine Kou Gaye reaffirmed NEC’s commitment to ensuring that gender equality and inclusion remain central to the Commission's work.

She noted that the LESP support has helped the Commission to continued examining its electoral legal framework and regulations to better understand how they promote the participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in elections. She emphasized that the debriefing was an opportunity to not only review the findings but also to deepen institutional understanding of the recommendations that could strengthen NEC’s future work.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the LESP, Dr. Aagon Tingba, UNDP Political Party Campaign Finance Specialist, underscored that inclusive political participation is both a national priority and a global commitment grounded in international human rights principles and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He noted that the review of Liberia’s electoral legal and regulatory framework offers an important opportunity to identify practical measures that strengthen the participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities. “Our shared objective,” he emphasized, “is to translate commitments to inclusion into practical improvements within Liberia’s electoral system.”

UN Women, Deputy Resident Representative Dr. Yemi Falayajo reaffirmed that Liberia has made important commitments under international and regional human rights frameworks, including CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ECOWAS instruments, while also embedding gender equality and social inclusion within NEC’s own strategic priorities.

Falayajo emphasized that the analysis presented practical options, not prescriptions, for the Commission to consider as it strengthens its policies, procedures and regulations.

“The evidence provides options,” she noted, explaining that decisions on the most appropriate approaches ultimately rest with Liberia and its institutions. She encouraged participants to combine evidence with their practical experience to identify recommendations that can strengthen participation while remaining responsive to Liberia’s context.

The debriefing reflects the broader objective of supporting nationally led electoral reforms that are evidence-based, inclusive and responsive to Liberia’s democratic aspirations.

By bringing together commissioners, technical experts and development partners to critically assess both legislation and regulations, the session reinforced the importance of continuous institutional learning and collaborative problem-solving in strengthening electoral governance.

As Liberia prepares for future electoral cycles, the dialogue demonstrated that inclusive democracy depends not only on who casts a ballot, but also on whether the rules, institutions and processes governing elections create equal opportunities for everyone to participate, contribute and lead.

The LESP is managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the NIMD, with support from the European Union, Irish Aid, and Sweden, continues to support national institutions in strengthening electoral governance and democratic resilience.

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