The National Peace Hut Women of Liberia has won the 2019 United Nations Population Award, in the Institutional Category.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, the United Nations Population Award is presented annually to individual (s) or institution(s) in recognition of outstanding contributions in the fields of population and reproductive health.
The National Peace Hut Women of Liberia was announced as the Institutional Laureate in recognition of its contributions towards conflict resolution and women's empowerment in Liberia.
Founded in 2004, the National Peace Hut Women of Liberia helped women and former child soldiers become agents of change in their communities following the country’s civil war. The organization also provided safe spaces for survivors of gender-based violence and rape, becoming a beacon of continued hope to the people of Liberia.
The National Peace Hut Women of Liberia defeated Nine other Institutional Nominees by a vote of Six (6) out of Ten (10), during a selection process by a Ten (10) Member Award Committee chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Ion Jinga, the Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations, and Vice Chairman of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission.
The award including a gold medal, diploma and a monetary prize will be presented at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on June 20, 2019.
Responding to the announcement of the award, Liberia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., described the award as a validation of the impact of activities of the National Peace Hut Women of Liberia.
Ambassador Kemayah recalled that " it was upon a recommendation from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations, in February 2019, pursuant to an application in the Institutional Category for the Annual United Nations Population Award submitted to the Permanent Mission of the Republic Liberia to the United Nations, by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Ambassador Kemayah expressed delight that the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia under his leadership recognized the potential of the National Peace Hut to be a competitive nominee for the award; given the impact of the Hut’s activities in the area of conflict resolution and women’s empowerment; concepts which make up some of the criteria for the competition.
"The deciding factor was the Peace Hut itself; the work, the objective, and results, are to be commended and given recognition. This is certainly a validation of the work that the dedicated women of the National Women Peace Hut of Liberia does daily." Ambassador Kemayah emphasized.
Ambassador Kemayah then stressed that it was important to highlight that the sustainability of the National Peace Hut Women of Liberia can only be ensured within the enabling environment as provided under the astute leadership of His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, whose drive and commitment to preserving Liberia's hard-won peace is exceptional and unwavering.
