Liberian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Musu J. Ruhle, has emphasised that women’s participation in peace and political processes must transcend mere symbolism.
Speaking at the Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace Forum at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra on May 28, 2025, Ambassador Ruhle declared, “Representation alone does not equate to transformation. We must ask: whose voices are amplified, and whose remain silenced? Are we dismantling power structures or merely embellishing them?”
She cautioned, “While women are increasingly visible in peace processes and frameworks, their presence is often symbolic—prioritising appearances over substantive influence.”
The forum, convened to explore pathways for conflict prevention and sustainable peace, centered on women’s leadership during a high-level panel on democratic transitions.
Ruhle’s address grounded the discussion in pressing regional challenges: democratic erosion, political instability, and rising violent extremism.
Drawing on Liberia’s experience, she noted, “We take pride in electing Africa’s first female president, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.” However, she stressed that such milestones are insufficient without systemic change. “True empowerment requires structural reform in political parties, electoral financing, customary law, and transitional justice.”
Her remarks urged the dismantling of entrenched barriers to women’s empowerment, ensuring their transition from the margins to the core of political power.
Ambassador Ruhle emphasised that women’s voices must resonate not only in formal power structures but also from grassroots communities.
“We must embrace radical inclusion, amplifying not only educated women or those in leadership but also women in markets, refugee camps, and informal settlements. These women bear the heaviest burdens and often possess the most profound insights.”
Addressing the region’s persistent conflicts and political volatility, she asserted, “Peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice and dignity. Security means women living free from fear, exclusion, and economic disadvantage.”
The Ambassador also highlighted Liberia’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2026–2027 under the theme “Towards a Just and Peaceful World.” She pledged that, if elected, “Liberia will leverage this platform to champion inclusive peace and gender-responsive leadership through our proposed Feminist Foreign Policy.”
About the Forum
The 2025 Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace Forum, themed “Amplifying Women’s Voices in Democratic and Political Transitions,” brought together political leaders, diplomats, civil society representatives, and regional experts from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Australia. The event was organized by the Australian High Commission in collaboration with the Embassy of Liberia in Ghana, the High Commission of Sierra Leone in Ghana, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS).
