India and Liberia Deepen Cooperation on Women-Led Development

The delegation includes members of Liberia’s Senate and House of Representatives as well as representatives of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia.

India and Liberia are looking to strengthen cooperation on women's empowerment and leadership after Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi met a visiting Liberian parliamentary delegation in New Delhi, with discussions covering political representation, gender-responsive governance, the care economy and measures to address violence against women.

The delegation includes members of Liberia's Senate and House of Representatives as well as representatives of the Women's Legislative Caucus of Liberia. Led by Ellen-Attoh Wreh and accompanied by UN Women representatives, the group is visiting India from 10 to 15 August 2026 as part of a South-South Peer Learning Mission.

India Shares Women-Led Development Experience

During the meeting, the Liberian delegation was briefed on several Indian initiatives designed to expand women's participation in social, economic and political development, giving visiting lawmakers an opportunity to examine policies and institutional approaches that could offer lessons for their own work.

Annpurna Devi outlined India's approach of treating women as active participants in national development rather than viewing them only as beneficiaries of government programmes, placing greater emphasis on leadership, decision-making opportunities and participation across public institutions.

Discussions covered India's legislative, institutional and programme-based measures supporting women's empowerment, including political representation, gender-responsive budgeting and governance, local leadership and systems created to respond to violence against women.

Political Representation and Care Economy Discussed

Women's participation in decision-making emerged as an important part of the exchange, with the two sides discussing how policies and institutions can create stronger opportunities for women to take leadership roles at different levels of government.

The meeting also addressed the care economy, an area closely connected with women's economic participation because unpaid and paid caregiving responsibilities can shape their access to employment, education and leadership opportunities.

India's experience with women's leadership in local governance formed another part of the discussions, offering the visiting parliamentarians insights into ways political participation can be strengthened closer to communities.

Peer Learning Mission Builds South-South Ties

The Liberian delegation's visit has been organised with support from UN Women and is funded by India, Brazil and South Africa through the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Fund, which is administered by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.

Running until 15 August, the peer learning mission provides a platform for policymakers to exchange practical experiences and examine approaches that could be adapted to different national circumstances rather than relying on a single model of women's empowerment.

India and Liberia expressed their commitment to expanding cooperation within the broader framework of South-South collaboration, with the discussions reflecting shared interest in strengthening women's participation in governance and development. The meeting concluded with the presentation of a memento to the head of the Liberian delegation and a group photograph.