Monrovia, Liberia โ April 20, 2026 โ The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MOGCSP) and with support from the World Bank, has launched a three-day intensive training for enumerators under the Mixed-Methods Agricultural Research Survey (MARS).
The training, from April 20โ22, 2026, marks a key milestone in advancing gender-responsive agricultural data collection under the Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP). The initiative falls under Component FourโStrengthening Public Institutions to Advance Gender Equalityโjointly led by the MOGCSP and MOA.
MARS is a comprehensive, gender-sensitive research initiative designed to generate sex-disaggregated, evidence-based data on the intersection of gender, climate change, and agricultural productivity. The survey focuses on five priority value chains aligned with the National Agricultural Development Plan (NADP) 2024โ2030: rice, cassava, maize, poultry, and vegetables.
In partnership with Enterprise Impacts Growth Limited (EIG), the MOA has recruited twenty (20) enumerators who are undergoing mandatory training to build the technical, practical, and ethical competencies required for effective data collection. Following the training, enumerators will be deployed from April 24 to May 8, 2026, across ten counties: Bomi, Lofa, Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, Rivercess, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hon. David Akoi, Deputy Minister for Planning and Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the importance of credible data in shaping national agricultural policies.
โMARS will strengthen our data systems and ensure policies are inclusive and evidence-based,โ he said. โI urge enumerators to carry out their work with professionalism and integrity, he added. โThe information you gather will help shape the future of agriculture in Liberia.โ
For her part, Macy T.S. Wilson, Director of Gender at the Gender Social Inclusion Unit (GSIU) of the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the significance of the survey in addressing gender disparities in agriculture. She noted that while women contribute over 60 percent of agricultural labor in Liberia, they continue to face limited access to land ownership and other productive resources.
โWe are relying on you, our enumerators, to provide high-quality data that will help close critical information gaps,โ Wilson said. โThis survey will play a vital role in shaping policies that ensure women are fully recognized and supported within Liberiaโs agricultural sector.โ
MARS aims to make womenโs agricultural contributions more visible within official data systems. It will address key issues, including the gendered impacts of climate change, opportunities to strengthen womenโs empowerment across value chains, and policy priorities to advance gender equality.
The findings are expected to guide evidence-based, gender-transformative policies and investments, contributing to a more inclusive and resilient agricultural sector in Liberia.
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