Former Vice-President of Liberia, Jewel Howard Taylor, has highlighted that poverty, early pregnancy, and detrimental cultural norms persist as barriers to the advancement of young girls and women in West Africa.
Taylor made these remarks at the commencement of the West Africa Adolescent Girls Summit in Monrovia, Liberia. The summit convened 200 adolescent girls and boys from the region alongside government officials.
While acknowledging some progress, Taylor expressed hope that the young participants would be motivated to instigate change within their respective communities.
Ame Atsu David, the regional co-director for Africa at the Global Fund for Children, emphasised that youth are sometimes marginalised from decision-making processes due to perceptions of inexperience, apathy, or an inability to contribute meaningfully.
In a recorded video address for the summit, former Nigerian First Lady Aisha Buhari outlined the significant challenges faced by young women and girls, particularly due to entrenched traditional and religious norms.
She stressed that religious misconceptions further obstruct girls’ access to formal education, often relegating them to domestic roles.