The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: 'The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of the government' (Article 21 (3)). Half, even more than half, of 'the people' are women. Yet for far too long, women's will, women's voices, women's interests, priorities, and needs have not been heard, have not determined who governs, have not guided how they govern, and to what ends. Since women are &en amongst the least powerful of citizens, with the fewest social and economic resources on which to build political power, special efforts are often needed to elicit and amplify their voice. In Liberia's 2005 election, for the first time, women participated equally in selecting the government, in part because special efforts were taken to enable them to access voter registration and polling booths. This ensured that women's will was expressed in authorizing my administration. I am determined that my administration will continue to respond to the needs of women.