Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Marginalized Women in Liberia: Resilience and Enduring Challenges

Women in Liberia suffered extreme violence during both Liberian wars (1989–1997; 1999–2003; Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia 2009). Many women continue to live in poverty, while medical and psychosocial care following war-related trauma has been widely inaccessible. These problems are often exacerbated for women in rural areas who have limited access to healthcare and social services. Previous research has uncovered high rates of intimate partner and community member perpetrated sexual and gender-based violence in areas of Liberia most heavily impacted by armed conflict during the wars (Kelly et al. 2018, 2–5; 2019, 1643–8). This paper explores how women who experienced violence during the war, their children, and other vulnerable women in the community have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how lockdowns and restrictions impacted their family relationships, income, and sense of well-being. It is imperative we understand how gender intersects with poverty, previous experiences of violence, and limited access to services in postconflict countries to better grasp the gendered impacts of the pandemic and to support all community members (see Al-Thaibani’s similar research in Yemen in this forum). Our research reveals the compounding harms for women survivors of conflict-related gender violence due to the combination of unaddressed war injuries, social marginalization, and reduced economic opportunities. These gendered harms are exacerbated for women in other crises, including health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. ADWANGA, a Liberian nongovernmental organization committed to preventing violence against and supporting vulnerable women and girls, conducted ten focus group discussions (FGD) across three counties (Montserrado, Bong, and Nimba1) to learn more about women’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were six participants in each group, and groups were divided by age. Women aged 26–65 and aged 16–25 gathered to share their experiences during the pandemic. The majority of women in the youth group were daughters of female survivors of the wars, thus allowing us to explore intergenerational harms. ADWANGA also conducted fifty individual interviews to better understand women's experiences and challenges. Most women who participated had connected with ADWANGA previously for support. Before the pandemic, the women participants earned between 5,000 and 10,000 LD per month (approximately $35–$65 USD). At the time of the research in 2022, women were struggling with a significant reduction in income, with most earning less than 5,000 LD per month. Women and girls in Montserrado, the most urban of the three counties, had a household averaging five to six people, while those in Bong and Nimba averaged seven to ten people per household. Many women and girls were either household heads or breadwinners. All stated that the pandemic negatively impacted their financial security, and they had been unable to sell their produce and goods, reducing their already very limited income. Relationships had changed in important and diverse ways as a result of the pandemic, with some women describing increased “demands for sex” (FGDs) and domestic violence, while others were pleased that they had more time with family and especially with their male partners. One woman in Monrovia shared, “COVID forced our men to stay home; but while they spent more time home, they gave us hard time.” Most women who had experienced violence during the war reported continuations of violence due to the pandemic. Older women reported ongoing stigma and discrimination resulting from the violence suffered and their ongoing poverty. As ADWANGA reported in 2019, “beyond the investigation and confession sessions held by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the government did not put in place any programs that could address the issues of stigma and social exclusion experienced by survivors of forced marriage and other forms of sexual and gendered violence” (ADWANGA 2019, 2). Younger women reported increased domestic violence, coercion into engaging in unwanted relationships, and increased demands for sex from cohabitating male partners. This finding provides some insight into the continuum of violence experienced by women in Liberia: Women who suffered physical and sexual violence during the war suffered ongoing social exclusion and stigma, forms of social violence (Boesten 2007, 17–8; Barnwell 2019, 1114–6) that both aggravated their current situations and interfered with healing. In particular, stigma has an ongoing impact on choice of intimate partners and access to education, services, and healthcare. Stigma can also have intergenerational impacts for daughters, with younger women reporting sexual exploitation and a similar lack of access to education. These effects were only exacerbated by the pandemic. Community relations were considered to have suffered due to COVID-19, with some participants expressing that the “communal spirit is no longer there” (FGDs). One enduring impact of the wars in Liberia has been an erosion of traditional social safety nets. For war survivors who have experienced stigma throughout the postconflict period, the sentiment that there is no longer any communal spirit indicates a further reduction in already limited social supports. One woman said, “We stopped going to church or attending occasions because of the lockdown” (Gbarnga, Bong County). Lack of community connections and social safety nets may erode women’s ability to exit unsafe situations or access needed support in the future. Women expressed worry about contracting the virus: some described being “overwhelmed with fear” (FGD, Bong County), especially during the early months of the pandemic and when infection rates peaked. There was also concern about the vaccine, including concerns that the vaccine was being tested on Africans, used to eliminate certain groups or populations within society, or that it was a sign of the end of times; this worry lessened after the virus was better understood: “The way we were afraid from the beginning of COVID is not the same way now; First we were taking it to be just like Ebola, but at least we know something about it now” (young woman, Monrovia). Just over half the participants expressed willingness to receive the vaccine, and their mental health did improve immediately following its administration. All women expressed some knowledge of how coronavirus is spread and how to best protect oneself, crediting government radio programming as the main source of this information. Women also knew the current and previous restrictions and lockdown measures. This was consistent across the three counties. Given the remoteness of some communities, challenges in access due to poor road conditions, and the lack of government services, this finding is compelling. Despite knowing how to reduce transmission and desire to limit COVID-19’s spread, women in the rural counties shared that they were only given supplies for washing and disinfecting hands and surfaces one time; these did not continue to be provided throughout the pandemic. Women attempted to mitigate risk by staying at home and limiting contacts, strategies that had important economic and social impacts, as described above. Gender-based violence during the Liberian wars, enduring poverty, and stigma has not been properly addressed, with limited support for survivors. These enduring vulnerabilities have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet support remains limited. Increases in intimate partner violence and significant reductions in income have left women in a worse position than prior to the pandemic and left them highly vulnerable to future crises. Despite these challenges, women in this research demonstrated a clear understanding of the virus and how to prevent transmission. They also related some positive outcomes resulting from pandemic-related restrictions. This study provides valuable insight into how marginalized women in Liberia have coped and adapted during the pandemic, as well as their ongoing needs and challenges (see Singh Raghuvanshi on the importance of local women’s perspectives in Kashmir in this forum). It also raises important questions to explore in the future. We aim to undertake focused research on how cycles of violence, including conflict-related, intimate partner, and community violence, have been impacted and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated changes in the community. We also plan to explore how gender norms have been reinforced or challenged through the pandemic. Throughout, we will investigate strategies women use to cope with increased violence and social stress, community impacts of reduced incomes and supports, and how governance institutions have responded, or not, to these essential needs. Our research demonstrates the importance of providing gender-just service provision outside of times of crisis to support resilient communities and better protect against the potentially devastating impacts of pandemics and natural disasters.

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