By: Audrey Raymonda John
The Girls Are Born Perfect strategy is emerging as a powerful and transformative approach, awakening communities across some of Sierra Leone’s most remote and hard-to-reach areas. In many of these communities, harmful traditional practices have perpetuated poverty, trauma, and cycles of inequality that continue to hold women and girls back.
During the 16 Days of Activism, AIM-SL used its platform to highlight the realities that have kept thousands of women and girls in fear and silence. The campaign exposed how deeply female genital mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices have shaped life in impoverished areas, where many women and girls have never had access to education. Some have only partial schooling, while others have never entered a classroom, leaving them vulnerable and without the tools to challenge long-standing traditions.
Port Loko District remains one of the areas where communities struggle to receive lifesaving information, particularly in remote villages where harmful practices are still celebrated. AIM-SL’s Born Perfect campaign has gained strong local support, as it is seen as a strategic initiative to end FGM once and for all.
The organization’s film screening campaign in interior villages many in deplorable conditions has become a major milestone in breaking the silence. These screenings allow communities to confront the realities of FGM: a dangerous, life-altering practice that continues to harm women and girls nationwide.
AIM-SL is currently working with communities and stakeholders across 13 chiefdoms in Port Loko District to raise awareness about the risks faced by women and girls. At each location, women, soweis, local leaders, and young girls have spoken openly, often emotionally, about their experiences and the suffering endured in the Bondo society.
One survivor, Mbalu Swaray of Borope Village in Kamasondo Chiefdom, shared her ordeal during a screening: “The practice is deadly, inhumane, and demeaning. They tied us, threatened us, tortured us, and then forcefully cut off our clitoris. I bled almost to death.”
Another survivor, Fatmata Kamara of Mokorba Conteh Village, Mabombo Section, described the long-term consequences:
“My husband abandoned me because I could not satisfy him sexually. He mistreated me and left for another woman. My story is painful, and many others are going through the same thing.”
Their testimonies echo the voices of countless women across Sierra Leone who live with trauma, stigma, and lifelong complications from FGM, which include chronic pain, infections, childbirth complications, sexual dysfunction, and deep psychological scars.
While advocacy, awareness, and community engagement are critical, they are insufficient without legal backing. An explicit national law banning FGM is essential for several reasons:
Protection for girls: Without a legal framework, parents, guardians, and community leaders face no real consequences for subjecting girls to FGM.
Accountability: A law gives authorities the mandate to intervene, prosecute offenders, and protect at-risk children.
Clarity: Communities should not have to question whether the practice is allowed; the law must state clearly that FGM is unacceptable.
Support for survivors: Legal prohibition strengthens referral systems, ensuring survivors can access justice, healthcare, and psychosocial support.
Alignment with international commitments: Sierra Leone has pledged to protect women and girls; an explicit ban brings national law in line with global human-rights standards.
For communities that have suffered for generations, a clear legal prohibition reinforces that girls are indeed born perfect and deserve full protection from harm.
During film screenings, hundreds of men, women, and children have gathered to watch. Scenes depicting cutting are often done without anesthetic and using knives, razor blades, or pieces of glass evoked gasps, cries, and disbelief from audiences. Many said it was the first time they had witnessed the practice from this perspective.
As AIM-SL continues its work, more communities are beginning to question old norms, embrace new conversations, and advocate for safer futures for their daughters. The Girls Are Born Perfect strategy is not only changing minds it is saving lives.