-UN Women-Liberia Country Rep assesses FGM complication
By Jerromie S. Walters
Madam Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative, says the process for eliminating FGM needs multiple and joint efforts, as she points out how the government’s intervention with financial support for alternative livelihood programs can have a significant impact on various fronts in ending female genital mutilation in Liberia.
Traditional women’s participation in FGM is inherently linked to economic sustainability for various reasons. The parents of those initiated often present them with gifts at the climax of the practice. As a result, the recommendation is for the women (Zoes) to gain economic empowerment upon relinquishing the practice.
International partners have regarded this ideology highly, as evidenced by their numerous interventions in various parts of the country. “The process for eliminating FGM needs multiple and joint efforts. We thank the media practitioners for their efforts in supporting efforts for the elimination of FGM in Liberia and request their continuous objectivity in reporting on the matter to effectively support this cause,” Madam Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative, told WomenVoices in an interview.
Madam Lamptey: “The government’s intervention with financial support for alternative livelihood programs can have a significant impact on various fronts. Firstly, it can help sustain the achievements made by ongoing programs. Secondly, it enables the scaling up of the alternative livelihood interventions, allowing for a wider reach and greater effectiveness.”
For instance, she cited the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative’s alternative livelihood interventions, which were part of a model strategy to prevent FGM by encouraging practitioners to find alternative sources of income and by launching an intensive awareness campaign to change public perceptions of the practice.
This is a result of traditional women, known as Zoes, rallying the government to support alternative livelihood initiatives, aimed at keeping them engaged as they permanently abandon the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Globally, more than 200 million girls and women have undergone FGM.
Ma. Massah Kandakai, the Head Zoe of Montserrado County, told WomenVoices in an interview: “We are doing tailoring now at the place (the Heritage Center), but it is not enough for everybody. They want empowerment; let the things come plenty, but it’s not coming. The things are small, and the people are plenty. I want the government to provide assistance, which should be universally available. I want to bring them small things to learn, but I don’t have food for them. Some of the distance, when I called them to come, it’s car-pay (transportation); sometimes I can pay their way (transport them), so it will be hard.”
She wants the government to intervene to guarantee that women receive adequate support for alternative livelihood programs. “Let the government help so this thing (FGM) can finish one time. Let the other people get some. It’s good when the international people are doing the thing, and then the government too puts its hand there; at least let the materials be plenty for everybody to learn. To me, it will be alright. Like the country cloth, we can get the old-ma them to be learning.”
This year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was held under the theme ‘Her voice. Her future. Investing in Survivor-Led Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation.’ Also, this year’s International Women’s Day was held under the global theme ““𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬” and the national theme “Empower Her, All these initiatives aim to make crucial investments in the up Keep participants engaged and active members of society, as active partakers of society.
As an acknowledgment of their willingness to embrace alternative livelihood programs, Madam Lamptey stated, “Through the alternative livelihood approach, 800 former practitioners are engaging in alternative sources of income after the abandonment of the FGM practice. Given the effectiveness of this approach in piloted areas and the ongoing efforts of former FGM practitioners to integrate into alternative economic activities, the government should invest in livelihood programs to provide employment opportunities for these women, as well as for young women and girls seeking vocational skills. This would put an end to pursuing skills training in bush schools, where FGM is usually practiced.”
Meanwhile, Madam Lamptey confirmed the UN’s positive response to the international partners’ supported alternative livelihood program, outlining the benefits for traditional women. “We have so far experienced a positive response to the alternative livelihood program piloted for former practitioners of FGM in several counties. Our programs have reached over 800 women who are currently involved in agriculture, livestock, tailoring, tie and dye, and soap-making activities, which have begun to generate income for their self-sufficiency and the well-being of their families.
Madam Comfort Lamptey stated that other traditional women have also signaled to UN Women that they need their support. “We are also receiving requests from other zoes to support them in the process of abandoning FGM. This shows that the target traditional women are receptive to the program.”
Madam Lamptey articulated, “The alternative livelihood program for zoes was implemented as part of the EU and UN support to the Government of Liberia in efforts to meet several SDG targets on the elimination of violence against women, the eradication of FGM, reducing inequalities, and reducing poverty, among others. All these priorities are part of the government’s short, medium, and long-term plans to develop the country and meet the targets of sustainable development goals by 2030.”
She assured that development partners would also continue their support for the government on such programs in line with priorities jointly identified with the government of Liberia to the greatest extent possible. “As prevention of FGM and other forms of violence against women and girls requires more than just alternative economic livelihood opportunities, partners will build on lessons learned to implement a comprehensive prevention strategy that works well for all parties in the cause. This will include sustained and continued education and awareness-raising with communities on the harmful health effects of FGM on women and girls.”
Article V (ELIMINATION OF HARMFUL PRACTICES) of the Maputo Protocol discourages harmful traditional practices and urges governments to prohibit and condemn all forms of harmful practices that negatively affect women’s human rights and are contrary to recognized international standards. “State Parties shall prohibit and condemn all forms of harmful practices that negatively affect the human rights of women and are contrary to recognized international standards.”
The protocol provides that state parties shall take all necessary legislative and other measures to eliminate such practices. “Including a) the creation of public awareness in all sectors of society regarding harmful practices through information, formal and informal education, and outreach programs; b) the prohibition, through legislative measures backed by sanctions, of all forms of female genital mutilation, scarification, medicalization and para-medicalization of female genital mutilation, and all other practices to eradicate them.”
Liberia signaled its commitment to ending FGM during the global convening of world leaders and women’s rights activists at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris in 2021, where Liberia pledged to pursue efforts to end gender-based violence and became a signatory to the collective commitment to eradicating harmful practices, including FGM. Liberia remains one of the three West African countries without a law criminalizing FGM, despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights instruments condemning the practice as a human rights violation, including the Maputo Protocol.
The FGM bill before the national legislature is titled ‘Act Prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation of 2022.’ In concurrence with the observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), traditional zoes of Lofa County on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, committed themselves to positive traditional practices, following the willful closure of their bush schools and the turning over of all sande-related materials to the Chairman of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Karwor.
Lofa brought to number five the 11 FGM-practicing counties that have performed the traditional rituals, shot down the bush schools, and banned the practice at the Vezela Vocational and Heritage Centre in Lofa County.
