By Audrey Raymonda John
To truly empower women and girls, Sierra Leone must commit to eradicating the violence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and addressing the power imbalance that favors men, perpetuating the narrative of women and girls as subordinate beings.
A recent incident highlights the depth of this issue: an MP, while making a guest of honor statement in Imperri Chiefdom, Bonthe District, spoke alongside members of the Sowei Council. The Sowei leader revealed that she had been assured by MPs that a prosecution case against her, involving the death of a young woman after undergoing FGM, would be dismissed. This is a stark example of how deeply entrenched and protected FGM remains, even within the highest levels of power.
The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) has raised concerns about a “Kayndu” procession that took place on May 19th in Kenema, a central part of the Bondo initiation ceremony, which ushers women and girls into womanhood. Such practices persist despite Sierra Leone’s public commitment to gender equality and progressive education policies.
FGM has long been recognized internationally as a human rights violation with devastating psychological and physical impacts on girls and women. The UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls recently named FGM as “one of the most pernicious forms of violence committed.” Despite this, estimates suggest at least 200 million women and girls worldwide have undergone FGM, with Sierra Leone having one of the highest prevalence rates—83% of women and girls aged 15 to 49.
Decades of campaigning have not significantly reduced the practice in Sierra Leone, where cultural beliefs continue to perpetuate the notion that cutting is necessary for a girl to become a woman and be fit for marriage. High-profile deaths, such as the recent deaths of three girls investigated by police, are often only brought to attention due to the relentless efforts of anti-FGM campaigners.
FGM is deeply intertwined with Sierra Leonean politics and vote canvassing. If the country genuinely wants to empower women and girls and gain international prominence, it must commit to uprooting this violence by addressing the power imbalance that favors men and perpetuates the subordination of women and girls. True empowerment involves promoting health, education, economic opportunities, and ensuring the safety and bodily autonomy of women and girls.
FGM is one aspect of patriarchal oppression, linked with other forms of sexual, economic, and cultural violence. Genuine empowerment requires legal protection, positive educational norms, and freedom from violence. Sierra Leone has signed international treaties like the Maputo Protocol and CEDAW to eliminate FGM and celebrated policy milestones such as the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act. However, the amended Child Rights Act, which would ban both child marriage and FGM, remains pending. Separating child marriage from FGM in the proposed Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024 ignores their interlinked nature and threatens the lives of girls and women.
The urgency for legislative action on the Child Rights Act amendment cannot be overstated. The government must approve the strategy on the reduction of FGM, pending since 2016, prioritize education that empowers girls, and pass the Amended Child Rights Act to ban FGM for girls under 18 and end child marriage.
FAHP will continue to lead the fight, bringing FGM cases into the international spotlight and pressuring for urgent reform. Sierra Leone must act now to eradicate this impunity and take a lead in the international community.
The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) is a coalition of 24 national non-governmental organizations in Sierra Leone, established in June 2014 to advocate for the reduction and elimination of harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM).
