[By Pewu Y. Sumo]
Monrovia — Margibi County District 3 Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh has called for stronger measures to address the misuse of social media as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection kicks off its 16 Days of Activism campaign in Monrovia.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the first-day conference, Rep. Attoh-Wreh stressed the importance of taking decisive action to curb the misuse of digital tools in the context of gender-based violence.
She acknowledged the pervasive danger of social media bullying, questioning its impact on future generations: “Some of us, we are immune to it, but if we continue to say the children are our future leaders, how are we going to prepare them mentally?” the lawmaker asked.
Rep. Attoh-Wreh continued by arguing that a single mistake should not define a person. “Somebody makes one mistake, and you use it on social media to bully them. They become afraid to speak because of fear,” she stated.
She further lamented that victims of social media bullying often become hesitant to take action because they are constantly reminded of their past.
“The mistakes our fathers and mothers made were resolved under the palava hut. Now, somebody wants to do something and you remind them ten years ago on Facebook that this is what happened.”
According to Rep. Attoh-Wreh, these actions can, in some cases, lead victims to take their own lives.
“You don’t know the strength of the person; you don’t know how many persons are strong or are weak mentally,” the Margibi lawmaker stressed.
Rep. Attoh-Wreh, who chairs the Women Legislative Caucus at the House of Legislature, concluded by calling on journalists, bloggers, and influencers to be cognizant of the danger of social media bullying as Liberia observes the 16 Days of Activism.
Campaign Themes
The global theme for this year’s campaign is “UNITE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” while the National Theme is “UNITE to End Violence: Protecting All Women and Children in Our Communities and Digital Spaces. No Excuse For Online Abuse.” The activism period runs from November 25 to December 10, 2025.
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