Liberia: 91% of Liberia's Rape Survivors Are Adolescent Girls

MAMBA POINT, Monrovia, September 10, 2026: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has raised alarm over the prevalence of sexual violence against adolescent girls in Liberia, reporting that 91 percent of recorded female rape survivors over the past five years were girls between the ages of 10 and 19.

UNFPA said 61 percent of the recorded survivors were girls between the ages of 10 and 14, highlighting the disproportionate impact of sexual violence on children and adolescents.

Leonard Kamugisha, UNFPA Officer-in-Charge, disclosed the figures Thursday during a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Removing Service Fees for Gender-Based Violence Survivors in Mamba Point, Monrovia.

Citing data from Liberia's Health Management Information System, Kamugisha said only 47 percent of rape survivors reached a health facility within the critical 72-hour period following an assault.

He said just 31 percent received Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) against HIV within 72 hours, while only 26 percent received emergency contraception to help prevent pregnancy.

"These figures demonstrate that survivors of sexual violence are also some of the most vulnerable in our communities," Kamugisha said.

He warned that requiring survivors of gender-based violence to pay fees at health facilities could delay access to critical medical treatment and compound the trauma experienced by women and girls.

"When a survivor of gender-based violence summons the courage to break the silence, flee an abusive home, or seek medical attention at a public health facility, the first thing they encounter should not be a registration desk demanding a service fee," he said.

Kamugisha said financial barriers could cause survivors to miss the crucial 72-hour window for accessing PEP to reduce the risk of HIV infection and emergency contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy.

He acknowledged, however, that some public health facilities impose fees because inadequate financing leaves them struggling to cover operational costs.

Although Liberia's national policies provide for free medical care for GBV survivors, Kamugisha said funding gaps at the facility level sometimes result in patients being required to make out-of-pocket payments.

He said such financial barriers disproportionately affect poor and vulnerable women and girls, particularly those in rural and peri-urban communities.

Kamugisha also warned that the cost of accessing services could discourage survivors from reporting sexual violence or seeking medical care, potentially reinforcing stigma and fear while undermining efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.

He commended the Government of Liberia for making the fight against gender-based violence a national development priority, including a target under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development to reduce the incidence of GBV by 50 percent.

According to him, eliminating service fees for GBV survivors would mark an important step toward improving survivors' access to healthcare while strengthening Liberia's response to sexual and gender-based violence.

Kamugisha said UNFPA remains committed to supporting the Liberian government and its partners in developing policies that ensure women and girls can access essential services without financial barriers.

"UNFPA remains committed to working with all partners to support the Government of Liberia to achieve its development agenda and to ensure a Liberia where every girl and woman can live with dignity," he said.

Read the original article on New Dawn.