By: Audrey Raymonda John
On Wednesday, 24th September 2025, the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) brought together traditional chiefs, teachers, journalists, and bloggers as part of the “Men End FGM” movement in Sierra Leone.
The training, held at Buxton Church Conference Hall on Charles Street and supported by Irish Aid, focused on equipping participants with the tools to use social media and other platforms to amplify the voices of survivors and accelerate national efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
In a presentation covering gender, legal, and religious perspectives, FAHP National Coordinator Ishmael Cole outlined the different forms of FGM and their devastating impact on women and girls.
“We are human beings. We make traditions, so we also have the right to change those traditions that are harmful to the life and health of our people—especially women and girls,” Cole said.
He emphasized that FAHP and its partners are holding the Government of Sierra Leone accountable to its international obligations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Maputo Protocol, all of which call for the total eradication of FGM.
The recent ECOWAS Court of Justice ruling declaring FGM a violation of human rights has added urgency to the campaign. The judgment affirms that no cultural justification can excuse the physical and psychological harm inflicted by FGM.
Campaigners are now calling on President Julius Maada Bio and Parliament to align national laws with this ruling by enacting a total ban on FGM.
“To ignore this moment is to deny girls the protection they are entitled to under both regional and international law,” said Cole.
Participants learned about the severe health, social, and economic consequences of FGM. Immediate risks include excessive bleeding, infection, and even death. Survivors often suffer lifelong complications such as chronic pain, menstrual problems, complications during childbirth, infertility, and loss of sexual function. Beyond physical harm, the emotional and psychological trauma deeply affects survivors’ education, relationships, and overall well-being.
Cole stressed that FGM can be even more dangerous when performed on older individuals “FGM is no respecter of age the older the person, the more dangerous the procedure becomes.”
He urged teachers, chiefs, and bloggers to replicate the training within their schools and communities, using their influence to challenge harmful traditions and become FGM champions.
The training featured group discussions where participants shared religious views, cultural beliefs, and most importantly, personal stories from survivors. These testimonies reinforced the need to support survivors not only for healing but to empower them as leaders for change.
FAHP made it clear: the cultural identity of Bondo society can be preserved without FGM. The celebration of womanhood and tradition must no longer come at the cost of girls’ lives and dignity.
“The beauty of Bondo can live on without violence,” FAHP emphasized.
FAHP issued a strong message to Sierra Leone’s political leaders: stop defending or funding violence disguised as culture.
“FGM is violence plain and simple. Continuing to endorse or remain silent on it is to condone harm against the very daughters this nation is supposed to protect.”
The organization is calling on the government to enact and enforce a total legal ban on FGM, support survivors, and foster a culture that upholds the health, rights, and future of every girl in Sierra Leone.