How the Liberian Women Managed to Succeed, and Thrive, after Fourteen Years of Civil War

Although war, and especially civil war, is predominantly viewed in a negative light, in the case of Liberia’s successive wars in the decade, local women in Liberia benefitted a great deal upon the conclusion of the wars. While these civil wars, lasting from 1989-2003, brought about significant hardship for everyone living in Liberia, and resulted in a horribly impoverished state, the end of the conflicts did bring about some marked positive outcomes. Upon the end of the wars, Liberian women were, in a sense, given a chance to start over. Throughout the second civil war, the women were able to organize themselves into a powerful force advocating for a peaceful Liberia. By refusing to take a side politically, the women were able to stay out of the direct line of fire from the violent and controlling warlords, while still managing to have a strong presence in society. Because of the strength of their movement during the wars, and in part due to luck that many of the men were displaced from their traditional roles, Liberian women were able to take advantage of employment opportunities that were not previously available to them. Based on how much progress the women were able to make after the wars, overall, the civil wars did truly benefit the Liberian women. Although war, and especially civil war, is predominantly viewed in a negative light, in the case of Liberia’s successive wars in the decade, local women in Liberia benefitted a great deal upon the conclusion of the wars. While these civil wars, lasting from 1989-2003, brought about significant hardship for everyone living in Liberia, and resulted in a horribly impoverished state, the end of the conflicts did bring about some marked positive outcomes. Upon the end of the wars, Liberian women were, in a sense, given a chance to start over. Throughout the second civil war, the women were able to organize themselves into a powerful force advocating for a peaceful Liberia. By refusing to take a side politically, the women were able to stay out of the direct line of fire from the violent and controlling warlords, while still managing to have a strong presence in society. Because of the strength of their movement during the wars, and in part due to luck that many of the men were displaced from their traditional roles, Liberian women were able to take advantage of employment opportunities that were not previously available to them. Based on how much progress the women were able to make after the wars, overall, the civil wars did truly benefit the Liberian women