WORIWA International Women Day March
Grand Bassa County, Liberia — Since 2003

Defending the Rights
of Women & Girls
in Liberia

Women-formed, women-headed and women-managed. For over two decades, WORIWA has been the frontline fortress protecting rural Liberian women and girls from violence, abuse and exploitation.

21+
Years in Operation
32
Peer Watch Clubs
25+
Communities Served
30
Community Rights Committees
Explore Our Work ↓ Support WORIWA
Protecting Women & Girls in Grand Bassa County 32 Peer Watch Clubs Active in Schools 30 Community Rights Committees Monitoring GBV Women-Formed · Women-Headed · Women-Managed Empowering Women. Protecting Rights. Building Futures. Fighting Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Since 2003 Protecting Women & Girls in Grand Bassa County 32 Peer Watch Clubs Active in Schools 30 Community Rights Committees Monitoring GBV Women-Formed · Women-Headed · Women-Managed Empowering Women. Protecting Rights. Building Futures. Fighting Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Since 2003
WORIWA International Women Day March Buchanan City
2003
Year Founded · Buchanan City
WORIWA Founding Leaders Theresa Brown and Julie Roberts

Founding heads: Theresa Brown (late) & Julie Roberts — the brave women who started it all

Our Story

Born from an Act of
Courage in Crisis

"Since that fateful moment with Kumba in 2003, WORIWA has been an anchor point — a fortress — for troubled women and girls in Grand Bassa County."

In December 2003, as Liberia emerged from civil war, founding Executive Director Theresa Brown and Projects Officer Julie Roberts intervened to rescue a displaced mother of six whose food had been seized at a rebel checkpoint. Covered by UNMIL soldiers, they confronted the checkpoint, secured justice — and from that moment, Women Rights Watch was born.


Today, WORIWA is a legally registered NGO operating across 25+ communities in Grand Bassa County, running programs in GBV prevention, SEA redress, SRHR, women's economic empowerment, and rights education. We are women-formed, women-headed, and women-managed — and we have never stopped fighting.


See What We Do →
Our Programs

Four Pillars of Women's Protection

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Women & Girls' Protection and Defense

32 Peer Watch Clubs in schools and 30 Community Rights Committees monitoring SGBV, exposing perpetrators, and finding restoration for survivors across 25+ communities.

WORIWA CRC Certificate Ceremony
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SRHR and Survivor Referral Pathways

We provide counselling, referral pathways and connections to medical, social and legal services for survivors and at-risk women and girls. Our formal Safeguarding Policy protects every survivor we serve.

WORIWA SRHR Education Session
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Women Economic Empowerment

5 Village Savings and Loan Associations organizing women into communal business groups. Women like Annie, Grace and Felecia have launched small businesses and broken the cycle of poverty.

WORIWA Economic Empowerment Training
📢

Rights Education and Awareness

Community awareness campaigns on women's rights and harmful traditional practices, engaging schools, community leaders, law enforcement, and parents through dialogues, marches and radio campaigns.

WORIWA SEA Campaign in Schools
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He4She Male Engagement

5 He4She Cells mobilising men and boys as active participants in the fight against SGBV. Because lasting change requires transforming the entire community, not just protecting its victims.

WORIWA Youth Sports GBV Awareness
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Youth Sports and Awareness

WORIWA uses sports — football, volleyball — to spread GBV and SRHR awareness messages among young people in schools and communities across Grand Bassa County.

WORIWA Sports SRHR Awareness
Our Impact

Two Decades of
Measurable Change

32
Peer Watch Clubs in Schools
30
Community Rights Committees
5
VSLAs Operational
25+
Communities Reached
Real Stories

Lives Transformed by WORIWA

These are not statistics. These are real women and girls from Grand Bassa County whose lives WORIWA has touched directly.

Women Economic Empowerment
Economic Empowerment

Threads and Beads of Resilience

Young Annie K. Moses's fingers dance across the beads, threading vibrant colors into stunning necklaces that tell a story of resilience. Just months ago, she was caught in a cycle of poverty, relying on friends to feed her family. Then she joined WORIWA's Women's Economic Empowerment initiative and discovered her passion for bead making.

“I used to buy beads from the market and just string them together. But after the training, I learned how to design and create unique pieces that sell well.”

— Grace Mitchell, WORIWA WEE Beneficiary

School Supplies for Children
Women's Economic Empowerment

From Dependency to Dignity

Grace Kpew used to struggle to afford school uniforms for her children. After learning to sew through WORIWA's training, she started making clothes for the community. Another beneficiary, Felecia Tarr, broke her cycle of complete dependency through the same program.

“Before this training, I depended on others for everything. Now, I earn my own money and support my children. I feel proud to be a woman with skills.”

— Felecia Tarr, WORIWA WEE Beneficiary

WORIWA COVID Response
Humanitarian Response

No Crisis Too Big for WORIWA

When COVID-19 hit Liberia, WORIWA immediately mobilized — distributing non-food items including sanitizers, buckets and hygiene supplies to six communities in Buchanan City with support from Kvinna till Kvinna. Women and families who had nowhere else to turn found WORIWA at their doorstep.

“WORIWA is always there when we need them most. They never leave us alone.”

— Community Member, Buchanan City

WORIWA Crossing Rivers for Women
Frontline Protection

Crossing Rivers for Women's Sake

When a rape case was reported in Edina City across the river, WORIWA staff did not hesitate. The team crossed by canoe to pursue justice for the survivor. This is WORIWA's promise: no distance is too far, no river too wide, no community too remote when a woman or girl needs protection.

“Dangerous but the cause is worthy!”

— WORIWA Team En Route to Edina City

When WORIWA Answered the Call — The Story of Edwina Dahn

In March 2015, 28-year-old Edwina Dahn survived an acid attack by her former partner in a remote River Cess County village. WORIWA's Human Rights Animator Patience Wruor was among the first to respond — documenting Edwina's testimony at the Liberia Government Hospital in Buchanan, supporting her through the legal process, and ensuring her attacker was brought to justice. Junior Sedekie was convicted and imprisoned at Buchanan Central Prison. Edwina's story is why WORIWA exists — because when no one else comes, WORIWA comes. We dedicate our continued work to her memory.

Gallery

WORIWA in Action

SEA Campaign
International Women's Day Campaign — #EachForEqual
IWD March
International Women's Day March, Buchanan City
Sports GBV Awareness
Using Sports to Spread GBV Awareness Among Youth
COVID Response
COVID-19 Community Response — Buchanan City
School Supplies
Supporting Underprivileged Children with School Supplies
KtK Award
WORIWA Wins KtK Communications Prize for Facebook Engagement
Crossing Rivers
Crossing Rivers for Women's Sake — Field Mission to Edina
CRC Certificates
Certifying Hard-Working CRC Heads at IWD Celebration
WORIWA Office
WORIWA Headquarters — Flour Mill, New Buchanan

“Ending gender inequality and violence against women begins with inspiring, educating and upskilling our young people — mainly girls — and stakeholders to tackle it in their own communities.”

WORIWA's mission statement — lived every day in the communities of Grand Bassa County, Liberia. Empowering Women. Protecting Rights. Building Futures.

Stand With WORIWA
Our People

The Team Behind WORIWA

Executive Management Team
Larwuo B. Bryant
Larwuo B. Bryant
Executive Director
DT
Dorothy Togar
Projects Officer
Charlene Nenneh
Charlene Nenneh
Research & M&E Officer
PW
Precious Wilson
Senior Human Rights Monitor
JF
J. Dominic Farley
Finance Officer
NY
Nathatline Yogar
Human Rights Animator
JL
Josephine W. Lewis
Human Rights Animator
JT
Janet Z. Tulay
Human Rights Animator
DS
David Seequeh Jr.
Finance Assistant
MS
Maime Saymendi
Office Manager
James Richardson
James Richardson
Security Guard
Board of Directors
SS
Sherman C. Seequeh
Board Chairperson
Public Policy Specialist, Journalist & Development Consultant
AN
Anna Noah
Co-Chairperson
Business Administrator & Strategic Social Services Advocate
LB
Larwuo B. Bryant
Secretary
Social Scientist, Grassroots Development Advocate & Gender Activist
CH
Cheree Annetta Hoff
Treasurer
Microfinance Specialist, Business Consultant & Entrepreneur
PT
Pastor B. Darlington Teah
Chaplain
Former Legislator, Theological Educator & Public Speaker
AJ
Antoinette G. Jarwleh
Member
Community Health Specialist & Women's Rights Advocate
JN
Jullie Kingston Nelson
Member
Entrepreneur & Women's Empowerment Advocate
Past & Present Funding Partners
UNMIL / Col. James
Norwegian Human Rights Fund
Kvinna till Kvinna · Sweden
UN Women Liberia
Get in Touch

Contact WORIWA

Whether you are a donor, partner organization, media, or someone in need of support — we want to hear from you.

📍

Address

Flour Mill, New Buchanan
Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County
Liberia, West Africa

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Telephone

+231 0770752917
+231 0770624071
+231 0886591661

✉

Email

woriwablib@yahoo.com

📘

Website

www.woriwa.com

📘

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Women Rights Watch - WORIWA

WORIWA Headquarters Buchanan City

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