Why Advocacy Lens

While working as a photojournalist in the Liberia Media from 1996 to 2000, the co-founder, Movement for the Promotion of Gender Equality in Liberia(MOPGEL), Hisenburg Q. Togba, observed an enormous gender gap—the lack of female photographers/photojournalists. Besides the gender gap in the media, Hisenburg saw the appalling conditions of women, girls, children and those with disabilities during his travel around the country. Given his desire to effect a change, he decided to tell the stories of women. girls, children and other vulnerable in society with the purpose to encourage charitable organizations and people of goodwill to come in and help. He was therefore provided a space in one of Liberia’s dailies, “The New Democrat Newspaper” to author the column, “Eye for the News”, as a medium to propagate the situation of girls, women and children. The column thereafter gave birth to the organization (MOPGEL).

Today, we still see the gender gap in the Liberian Media where women and girls are underrepresented while the vulnerable living in their daily conditions waiting for advocates to speak for them. We believed photography allows children, women and girls an unfiltered medium through which they can express their voices.

Our objective is to effect an ever-lasting change in Liberia, this is why the Advocacy Lens is born. The Advocacy Lens is aimed to train girls, women, and children in photography and writing skills so that their stories and other vulnerable who are voiceless and defenseless are heard, and propagated from their own standpoints.

We are convinced of the potential of photography in social change, as well as addressing gender inequalities. Photography has become a communicative tool that can help young women, girls and those with disabilities document the situation they find their selves in.

The Advocacy Lens is aimed to close the gender gap in Liberia Media and at the same time empower girls, women, and children.