NPA Launches First Gender and Social Inclusion Unit

By Lewis S. Teh

Monrovia, May 1, 2026 — The National Port Authority (NPA) has become Liberia’s first autonomous government agency to officially launch a Gender and Social Inclusion Unit, marking a significant step toward workplace equity across the country’s four ports.

At the launch ceremony, NPA Managing Director Sekou Dukuly highlighted that this initiative fulfills President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s mandate and aligns with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which prioritizes gender inclusion and equity in national institutions.

Dukuly reported that workforce progress at the NPA remains strong. Across all four ports, the agency employs 1,977 people, with women accounting for 604 employees, 31% of the staff, one of the highest rates outside the Ministry of Gender.

He further noted that the number of women in leadership roles has increased from just three in 2014 to 15 as of February 2026.

Senior female leaders now include the Executive Director of HR, Executive Director for Port City, Executive Director for Customer Service, and 12 other senior managers.

He emphasized that women’s voices are now “widely echoed” in senior management meetings, reflecting steady progress in professional participation and skills development compared to a decade ago.

The mandate of the new Gender and Social Inclusion Unit is to advocate for employees’ rights and ensure a respectful work environment free of discrimination or harassment.

The unit will also promote equal opportunity regardless of gender, race, religion, age, or social background.

Dukuly urged staff to utilize the NPA handbook, the Decent Work Act of 2015, and the new gender policy to guide their work.

He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, United Nations partners, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and to Deputy Managing Director for Administration, James Bernard, for supporting the policy’s rollout.

Concluding his remarks with a quote from former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Dukuly and other officials stressed that “achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, boys and girls,” and called on all employees across the NPA’s ports to actively support the policy’s implementation.

Anthony Borlay, Policy Director at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, provided an overview at the launch. He explained that the rationale for the NPA Gender Policy is to create a safe and supportive work environment, especially one free from harassment.

Borlay noted that the NPA established the Gender and Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) to promote gender equality and reduce gender bias, gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment, and assaults in the workplace.

The unit will focus on building capacity, raising awareness, and sensitizing employees and stakeholders on gender equality and zero tolerance of GBV, sexual harassment, and assaults.

He further emphasized that the NPA Gender Policy is a guiding instrument for implementing gender equality measures and addressing the issues the GSIU was created to tackle.

The policy is rooted in the National Gender Policy, the Liberian Constitution, and regional and international standards for gender equality.