-Debate Whether to Take Immediate Action or Conduct Nationwide Consultations
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia — Liberia’s push to criminalize Female Genital Mutilation has reached a critical juncture, with lawmakers divided between pressing for immediate passage of the draft Women and Girls Protection Bill or pausing to extend consultations to all fifteen counties.
The divide surfaced during Tuesday’s public hearing convened by the Joint Committee on Gender, Education, Judiciary, and Internal Affairs, even as the bill’s supporters warned that further delays risk undermining Liberia’s human rights commitments.
Some lawmakers called for the consultation process—already conducted in five counties with traditional leaders, rural women’s groups, and civil society organizations—to be expanded nationwide. Their aim, they said, is to deepen public education and ensure ordinary citizens are fully aware of the proposed law before any vote.
The call for nationwide engagement follows consultations already held in five counties with traditional leaders, rural women’s groups, and civil society organizations. Those consultations—branded “Born Perfect Grand Finale: From Community Dialogue to National Action”—revealed that the majority of community members consulted described FGM as dangerous and expressed support for legislative action to protect women and girls.
The hearing brought together Development Partners including the European Union, UN Women, civil society organizations, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection. Attendees reviewed findings from the community consultations and heard a formal presentation from Medica Liberia, which delivered a Baseline Analysis and key results from the five-county survey to guide lawmakers’ deliberations.
Delivering the statement of the Joint Legislative Committee, Chairperson Hon. Moima Briggs-Mensah described the proposed Women and Girls Protection Act as “a significant step toward safeguarding the dignity, safety, and rights of women and girls in Liberia.”
She stressed that effective implementation must be guided by four principles: responsible and respectful messaging focused on protection and dignity rather than blame; cultural sensitivity that engages constructively with institutions like the Sande society; inclusive grassroots consultations that reflect lived realities; and comprehensive support systems including education, healthcare, and economic alternatives alongside legal protections.
The draft FGM Bill was submitted by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in October 2025. In his submission, he stated the bill “arises from our national obligation to protect the dignity, rights, and health of all Liberians.” It comes as a decisive shift from non-binding measures to explicit criminalization, complete with penalties and victim support provisions, after years of advocacy from groups like the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL) and other human rights organizations.
The push for broader engagement comes just weeks after the House plenary descended into chaos over the legislation. On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the scene in the House plenary session descended into chaos and defiance, with a team of lawmakers chanting “No gay bill, no FGM bill!” According to them, they would block the “Harmful Practices” bill, unless a stalled bill targeting the LGBTQ+ community is given immediate priority and brought to the floor for debate.
The disorder began when the joint committee report on the Draft Women and Girls Protection Bill was presented. Representatives J. Marvin Cole of Bong County, Anthony Williams of Maryland County, and Yekeh Y. Kolubah of Montserrado County were among other lawmakers who pushed this effort. They screamed in unison: “No gay bill, no FGM bill! No gay bill, no FGM bill!” Bong County District #5 Representative Eugene Kollie later joined, “This bill will not appear here,” while Representative Yekeh Kolubah added, “This paper (bill) will never surface on this floor.”
Following the exchanges, a motion was proffered by the very same Representative J. Marvin Cole who had chanted against the bill. The plenary voted to send the Bill to all 73 electoral districts for nationwide citizen engagement. The joint committee, chaired by Hon. Moima Briggs Mensah, had already signaled potential significant amendments to make the bill more palatable. Most notably, Briggs Mensah proposed renaming the legislation “The Women and Girls Protection Act of 2025,” reframing it from an attack on tradition to a proactive measure for safeguarding vulnerable citizens.
The Vice President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), Cllr. Bowoulo Taylor Kelley recently urged the Liberian National Legislature to expedite consideration and approval of the bill.
She called on lawmakers to give urgent attention to the passage of the Bill, stressing that its enactment would enable Liberia to meet its treaty obligations under the African Charter and its Optional Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, as well as other pertinent international human rights instruments.
