–Urges the need for swift action
By Jerromie S. Walters
Liberia’s former vice president Jewel Howard Taylor has frowned on what appears an aggressive resurgence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia, and blamed the current government for what she termed as, “dragging the nation backward into negative cultural performance”.
In a statement last weekend, Madam Taylor expressed her concern over an event held last weekend in Margibi County, where young girls were publicly graduated from the SandeSociety. “Over the last weekend, in Margibi County, an event was held showing the graduation of many very young girls from the Sande Society. A scene reminiscent of the past where negative cultural practices were the order of the day. I am truly saddened that after all of this effort, our nation, under the Boakai-led government, is being dragged backward into this negative cultural performance.”
Howard-Taylor did not hold back in her call to action, urging all stakeholders to take a stand. “I am therefore constrained to call upon all the partners of Liberia, members of the international Community, Civil Society Groupings, and others to vehemently condemn this act; and call upon the Boakai-led Government to uphold the decisions previously taken to END THE PRACTICE OF FGM IN LIBERIA.
Last week, this paper reported the resurgence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Yarmie Administrative District, NimbaCounty, as traditional women continue to practice this harmful ritual. This development follows the recent release of over thirty females, including minors and teenagers, from the Zenah Hill Sande Society School in Weala, Margibi County. Like ZenahHill, Gbliyee Town has seemingly reintroduced the traditional practice. Undoubtedly, this defies ongoing efforts by the government and various organizations to eradicate FGM that aims to uphold the dignity of women and girls.
Following the situation in Margibi, authorities at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) noted that they were aware of the matter and soliciting the needed details which was expected to be followed by consultations with stakeholders and later actions if required. In response to the report Liberia’s Deputy Minister for Gender, Ms. Laura Golakehinformed this paper mid-Sunday: “All I can say is that we are trying to gather information. We have our local office in Margibi, and we also have a gender-based observatory group actively engaged in the communities. They are responsible for reporting incidents like these to us. Additionally, we are reaching out to the Peace Hut women to ensure we are collecting enough information.”
The Deputy Minister highlighted the collaborative efforts underway. “We have our traditional leaders there, we are reaching out to them to gather information. That’s what we are doing at this time. But at the central level, we are planning consultations with the Ministry of Internal Affairs because this is not the Ministry of Gender fight alone. We are planning consultations with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Information, and the Ministry of Education, with Women’s CSOs, and lawmakers. They are all very critical to this. We are planning that consultation with them, with the information that we would be able to gather from Margibi, we can present that information during that consultative meeting. [Because we are trying to make sure that the approach we are using is holistic].”
Moreover, Deputy Minister Golakeh noted the broader concerns of the Gender Minister regarding gender-based violence. “What she has set out to do is to first of all just remind us that whatever we decide, however we go about addressing this, it has to come from a place of honesty, collectiveness, and with the mind that we have to appreciate our traditional people. We have to appreciate what is it they bring to this discourse.”
Earlier this year, Liberia witnessed traditional practitioners across the country, including those in Nimba County, surrendering their FGM tools to Chief Zanzan Karwor, the former Chairperson of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia. This act was intended to signal a collective commitment to ending the practice. Through the EU Spotlight Initiative, heritage centers (Alternative livelihoods) were built in Nomba and three (Lofa, Cape Mount, and Montserradocounties) of the (11) eleven FGM counties to help get the traditional women off the bushes.
However, in less than a year, reports indicate that some traditional women in Nimba County, particularly in GbliyeeTown, have resumed the dangerous tradition, putting women and girls at risk once again. The recent ceremonies held on September 14 and 15, 2024, in Gbliyee Town, District 3, were marked by a celebratory atmosphere as parents joyfully welcomed their children back from the traditional bush school.
The event saw traditional women parading the unveiled girls and young women, presenting them to their families and allowing them to reintegrate into society and resume their education. Parents, especially mothers, were seen expressing their joy and relief as they greeted their children, who had completed their time in the Sande Bush and graduated from the traditional school.
It is believed that FGM makes them (women) full members of the Sande society, becoming very respectful in their communities of tradition. The ceremony marked a moment of celebration and transformation in the lives of the newborn traditional practitioners, women, and young girls, dressed up in their befitting outfits, dancing, and singing as they faced a ‘new way of life’ in their livelihoods. Traditional practitioners from various villages and neighboring towns gathered in GbliyeeTown over the weekend in respect of the harmful and controversial FGM practice.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the head of traditional women in Gbliyee Town whose name was undisclosed said she including her women considered the importance of FGM banning in the country, but they deem it prudent to respect their tradition and culture. “Our big-big people asked us to stop and we agreed to… Again our tradition must be respected” she stated. Permanently, according to her, FGM will not end because of its values, thus preparing women to face the future that lies ahead in their matrimonial home to respect their male partners.
She further highlighted the harmful impact but maintained that the practice will continue to go on as tradition mandates. “We feel the pain but that is the tradition” the Gbliyee traditional women’s head noted. For their part, citizens and residents of Gbliyee Town have condemned the banning of Female Gentile Mutilation, a practice they claimed is very important to them.
Sande Society is a traditional school that initiates young girls and women into adulthood by performing traditional rituals including female genital mutilation (FGM). In Gbliyee Town, citizens have had no idea that FGM is a violation of the fundamental human rights of women and girls, unaware of the consequences and complications associated with FGM, which include severe pain, excessive bleeding, infection, infertility, increased risk of HIV transmission, and even death.
