– Deputy Minister Dorley

Deputy Minister for Research, Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Curtis V. Dorley has emphasized that gender mainstreaming cannot be effectively achieved in the absence of strong policy frameworks and institutional reforms, as she officially delivered welcome remarks at an Orientation Workshop for New Government Spending Entities on Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB).

The workshop, organized by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) through its Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting Unit (GRPBU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), brought together key government stakeholders to strengthen inclusive governance and accountable public financial management.

Speaking at the opening session, DMRPP Dorley described the workshop as a significant milestone in Liberia’s national efforts to embed gender equality and social inclusion into planning, budgeting, and development processes, in line with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).

He recalled that since 2021, the Government of Liberia has been implementing the Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting initiative, beginning with a pilot phase involving nine spending entities, including the Ministries of Gender, Finance, Health, Education, Justice, Agriculture, and Internal Affairs, as well as the Governance Commission and LISGIS.

Building on the successes and lessons learned from that pilot phase, she announced the expansion of the initiative to five additional spending entities: the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Commission on Disabilities, National WASH Commission, and the National Disaster Management Agency.

The Deputy Minister commended the participation of comptrollers, planning officers, monitoring and evaluation directors, Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) coordinators, and technical staff, noting that their engagement reflects a strong commitment to inclusive governance and effective public financial management.

DMRPP Dorley highlighted that for many years, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection had advocated for the introduction of Gender Responsive Budgeting in the national budget, but progress was hindered by the absence of a formal policy framework. This challenge, he explained, was addressed through the development of the Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting Policy in 2017, which was officially launched in 2018, alongside the establishment of the GRPB National Coordination Unit.

“Gender-responsive policies and institutions are the bedrock upon which sustainable and effective gender mainstreaming is built,” Deputy Minister Dorley stated, attributing current progress to strong collaboration between MFDP and MGCSP.

He further stressed the importance of sex-disaggregated data as a core pillar of Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting, describing it as a strategic tool for equity, accountability, and inclusive development. According to him, such data enables institutions to justify budget allocations, track expenditures, and demonstrate tangible progress in closing gender gaps and addressing barriers faced by women, men, youth, persons with disabilities, and rural populations.

The orientation workshop, which ran from January 14 to January 21, 2026, was structured into two sessions and aimed to equip newly established GSIUs with the knowledge and practical tools needed to integrate gender into planning, monitoring, evaluation, and budgeting processes.

In closing, Deputy Minister Dorley reaffirmed that gender is not a peripheral issue but a central pillar of national development. He urged participants to actively engage throughout the workshop and to ensure that every policy, plan, and budget reflects Liberia’s commitment to equity, justice, and equal opportunity for all citizens.