Julia Duncan-Cassell (born 1960) is a Liberian politician. She served as minister of gender, children, and social protection from 2012 to 2018, as part of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's second cabinet.

Biography

Duncan-Cassell was born in 1960. She fled the

First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War was the first of Second Liberian Civil War, two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe's regime of totalitarianism and widespread Political cor ...

and settled in the United States. There, she studied business at the

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College of Marin The College of Marin, (known as Marin Junior College, 1926–1947) is a Public college, public community college in Marin County, California, with two campuses, one in Kentfield, California, Kentfield, and the second in Novato, California, Novat ...

, and

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. She worked in banking in California before returning to Liberia. Back in Liberia, Duncan-Cassell became involved in the country's postwar political scene. She was the first woman to serve as superintendent of Grand Bassa County, holding the position for six years, until 2012. In 2012, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed her as minister of gender, children, and social protection. She served in the role until 2018, with a brief break from July to October 2017, when she ran a failed campaign to represent Grand Bassa County District #3 in the Liberia House of Representatives. As minister, she promoted women's engagement in politics, opposed violence against women, and oversaw care of Ebola orphans during the West African Ebola epidemic. Duncan-Cassell is a member of Liberia's Unity Party. She currently serves as president of the

Europe External Programme with Africa The Europe External Programme with Africa and Europe External Policy Advisors, both called EEPA, are two closely associated Belgian-based non-governmental organizations that aim to encourage the European Union's involvement in human rights in ge ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan-Cassell, Julia 1960 births Living people 21st-century Liberian women politicians 21st-century Liberian politicians Liberian expatriates in the United States Liberian bankers Unity Party (Liberia) politicians Women's ministers of Liberia