By: Audrey Raymonda John
“All aspects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are rooted in misery and can lead to death. No age of consent is safe for women,” declared Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay, Director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIMSL), as she addressed members of Sierra Leone’s Parliamentary Press Gallery on Monday, June 9, 2025.
The session, held at the World Food Programme facility in Port Loko City, marked the second training under AIMSL’s ongoing journalist engagement program aimed at modernizing the Bondo culture and ending harmful traditional practices. The initiative is funded by the Wallace Global Fund for a sustainable future.
To date, AIMSL has trained 50 journalists from the Parliamentary Press Gallery as part of its mission to shift the national narrative on FGM and encourage community-led reform.
During her presentation, Turay outlined the devastating effects of FGM on women and girls throughout Sierra Leone. She revealed that over 90% of Sierra Leonean women and girls have undergone some form of FGM—often without medical supervision in homes, remote bush locations, and even health facilities.
The removal of the clitoris, a central element of the practice, has no medical justification and results in permanent physical and psychological damage: chronic pain, trauma, infections, childbirth complications, and in many cases, death.
“There’s no justification for it,” Turay stated. “Girls are being pulled out of school for Bondo initiations while their male counterparts remain in class. That’s not tradition that’s harm disguised as culture.”
Since 2019, AIMSL has been promoting a “bloodless rite of passage,” a community-led and culturally respectful alternative to FGM. This approach has already reached 75 girls and is expanding. It emphasizes education, healthcare access, and income-generating activities to help communities transition away from harmful practices.
“Community-led solutions are not only possible — they are sustainable,” Turay emphasized. “We’ve transformed Bondo bushes and sowei shrines into schools and skills-training centers, giving girls access to education and a future not defined by violence.”
Turay also issued a strong call to action to journalists, urging them to expose the dangers of FGM, debunk myths, and amplify survivor voices.
“You are critical to this movement. People trust your words—use them wisely and boldly,” she said.
Participants at the training expressed strong support for the campaign and called for additional capacity-building sessions to better inform their reporting and advocacy.
FGM remains one of the most urgent public health and human rights crises in Sierra Leone. Survivors not only endure physical suffering but also face mental health challenges, social stigma, and the loss of bodily autonomy.
Despite decades of advocacy, FGM continues with widespread cultural acceptance and political protection. That’s why President Julius Maada Bio’s recent push for the swift passage of the *Child Rights Act 2024* has been welcomed by activists. The bill aims to strengthen legal protections for girls and eliminate harmful traditional practices, including FGM.
However, progress remains slow. Too often, politicians across party lines invoke cultural traditions to delay or dilute laws that are essential to protecting human rights. Turay, like many others, has spoken out against using culture as an excuse to perpetuate harm.
“This excuse that culture comes before human rights — is dangerous,” she warned. “It endangers lives. It justifies silence. And it gives cover to those who want to continue this harmful practice unchecked.”
The fight to end FGM in Sierra Leone goes beyond legal reforms. It’s about shifting power, ending silence, and standing up for every girl’s right to grow up safe, educated, and free.