25/11/2025
Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr. Calls for National Unity to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls,As Faith and Justice Network Launches 16 Days of Activism.
Monrovia, Liberia – The Resident Bishop of the Liberia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Bishop Samuel J. Quire Jr., has issued a strong national call to action against all forms of digital violence targeting women and girls.
He made the statement on Tuesday during the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, held under the global theme: “UNITE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls.”at the Susan Brooks Memorial Episcopal Church on Clay Street.
Bishop Quire described digital violence as a growing moral, spiritual, and national crisis that demands urgent collective response.
“Although the attacks happen on screens, the pain is real, the trauma is real, and the damage is real,digital violence is violence. Online harm is harm. And every woman and girl deserves safety—everywhere, women’s rights advocates, partners, and civil society representatives stand against it, .”Bishop Quire said.
He commended the Faith and Justice Network and its Gender Justice Awareness Campaign Coordination for organizing what he described as a “timely and prophetic gathering,” emphasizing that the misuse of technology has become a major source of harassment, cyberbullying, exploitation, and humiliation for women and girls across Liberia.
Bishop Quire turned to Scripture, referencing Proverbs 31:8–9, Psalm 82:3, and Ephesians 5:11 to remind Liberians that speaking against injustice is both a spiritual duty and a moral responsibility.
“We cannot preach love while ignoring the cries of women who are suffering from digital abuse,” he declared. “Silence in the face of violence is disobedience.”
Bishop Quire stressed that the fight against digital violence is not the responsibility of one institution but a shared duty across the Church, government, schools, families, and communities.
“The Church must teach respect, compassion, and digital ethics. Parents must guide their children. Policymakers must enforce protection. Men and boys must rise as allies, not bystanders,” he noted.
Bishop Quire quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Bishop Quire reaffirmed that every woman and girl is created in God’s image and must be treated with dignity and respect. He warned that a nation that harms its women “destroys its own future,” echoing Kofi Annan’s statement that empowering women is the most effective tool for national development.
He called for a Liberia where technology uplifts, not destroys; where survivors receive justice, not silence; and where victims receive support instead of condemnation.
As Liberia begins the global 16 Days of Activism, Bishop Quire urged all sectors to commit to:
Raising Awareness – Speak boldly against digital abuse.
Strengthening Protection – Create safe online and offline spaces for women and girls.
Promoting Accountability – Report wrongdoing and challenge harmful practices.
“Let these 16 Days not be just a campaign but a movement… not only 16 days but every day, until justice rolls down like waters,” he emphasized.
Bishop Quire prayed for wisdom, courage, and unity as Liberia confronts the rising threat of online gender-based violence. He called on all sectors of society to help create a nation where every girl can “dream without fear, learn without shame, engage without harassment, and rise without limitation.”
The 2025 16 Days of Activism continues nationwide with a series of awareness events, trainings, dialogues, and advocacy engagements led by the Faith and Justice Network and its partners.
