Taking on Rape From Day One

This is one of the advantages of having a female president (at least in theory). They are able to address issues that men cannot possibly have enough compassion or empathy for. I am just disgusted by the stories I hear about the quality of life in various countries throughout the world where rape is common place.

Liberia's new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, came to power on a huge surge of support from women voters, hopeful that a woman leader would right some of the wrongs done to them during 14 years of civil war.

One of her first pledges was to do something about the scourge of rape, using new legislation that came into force the day after her inauguration.

Rape is not a word you often hear in polite society. It is certainly not something that presidents talk about in their inaugural address.

But after being sworn in on Monday, Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf stood up and said something that galvanised her audience.

"I know of the struggle because I have been a part of it," she said.

"I recall the inhumanity of confinement, the terror of attempted rape."

Sister Barbara Brilliant, a nun and midwife who has lived in Liberia for nearly 30 years - including right through the war - was in the audience and heard the taboo being broken.

"I felt, thank God. It's about time. Even here, we had a situation. We had soldiers who got over the fence," she said.

"The first thing we did was shut off the light, we lay on the floor and we did not dare to breathe. And all we were thinking of was, 'We don't want to be raped.' This is us, at our age!