Nimba Women Rally for Unity, Empowerment on Flag Day | Women

More than 3,000 women from across Nimba County gathered in Ganta on August 24 to celebrate National Flag Day with a strong call for peace, unity and collective action to advance the county and Liberia.

The gathering, organized by Nimba Women Empowerment under the leadership of Mrs. Vicky C. Cooper, brought together women from the county’s nine electoral districts, including communities near Liberia’s borders with Côte d’Ivoire.

Speaking at the event, Dr. O. Precious Cooper, daughter of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, urged Nimba women to work together, support one another and use their collective strength to contribute to Liberia’s development.

Cooper said women should see themselves as part of the solution to Liberia’s challenges and emphasized the importance of cooperation and collaboration.

She drew an analogy from Liberia’s history, noting that seven women worked together to make the Liberian flag, and encouraged women today to demonstrate the same spirit of unity.

“Women are marked as a solution for Liberia, and they should work together, support each other and see how best they can move the country forward,” she said.

Cooper said she attended the event on behalf of President Boakai to convey his greetings, appreciation and support to the women of Nimba.

She expressed enthusiasm over the turnout, particularly the participation of women from across the county’s nine electoral districts.

“To see the women coming from across the nine electoral districts shows the unity among them and also speaks of value,” she said.

Cooper, who served as Miss Liberia in the late 1990s and represented the country nationally and internationally, said her experiences have reinforced her belief that women are the backbone of society.

She said the purpose of her motivational engagement was to encourage women to work for the development of Nimba, Liberia, the ECOWAS region and the wider world.

The event also generated expectations of support from the Executive Mansion. Although a package was presented to the women on behalf of the President, Cooper said the administration would be better positioned to respond to their needs once their organizations and priorities are clearly structured.

She encouraged the women to identify their needs collectively and communicate them to the President so that appropriate support could be considered.

Vicky C. Cooper, head of Nimba Women Empowerment, said the main objective of the gathering was to bring women from across the county under one umbrella to promote peace, unity and empowerment.

“We brought all the women groups in Nimba under one umbrella for the sake of peace and unity and to also seek for empowerment so we can sustain our lives, be it farming, business or other lawful things,” she said.

She said women traveled from communities as far as Gbei, Dorlu and Gborplay near the Ivorian border to participate in the gathering.

“These women came from as far as Gbei and Dorlu as well as Gborplay near the Ivory Coast border. They needed help, they needed support, so we came together to speak with one voice,” Cooper added.

The organizers described the gathering as one of the largest women’s forums held in Ganta in recent years, with more than 3,000 participants representing various women’s groups across Nimba.

Held under the motto “Touch One, Touch All,” the program began with a parade through Ganta City, followed by an indoor program and sporting activities at the Ganta Sports Pitch.

The large turnout also sparked speculation that the gathering could have political undertones ahead of Liberia’s 2029 general elections, particularly given Nimba’s importance in national electoral politics.

However, Dr. Precious Cooper rejected the suggestion, saying the event was organized primarily to celebrate women, promote unity and commemorate National Flag Day.

Nimba District #1 Representative Samuel N. Brown attended the occasion as the senior government official present and received the organizers’ recognition, while Ganta City Mayor Samuel S. Hardt and other officials also participated.

Nimba is considered one of Liberia’s vote-rich counties and has historically played an important role in national elections.

The Ganta celebration also reflected changes in how National Flag Day is commemorated in Liberia.

In previous years, schools from across communities gathered at designated centers for elaborate Flag Day celebrations featuring marching, uniforms and performances.

However, no schools participated in the Ganta event this year, with the celebration dominated by women’s groups and focused largely on unity, empowerment and community development.

The change has prompted some citizens to reflect on earlier Flag Day celebrations, which they remember as more colorful and heavily centered on school participation.

Despite the changing format, organizers said the gathering provided an opportunity to revive the spirit of national unity associated with Flag Day while giving Nimba women a platform to collectively discuss their social and economic needs.

The organizers maintained that the larger objective was to build stronger relationships among women across Nimba and create a unified voice for peace, empowerment and development.