-Advocates Urge Inclusive Dialogue Ahead of Boakai’s FGM Ban
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – In the wake of President Joseph Boakai’s pledge at the United Nations to permanently ban harmful cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), advocates are urging a path of careful implementation over immediate enforcement.
While praising the commitment, they warn that without a foundation of deep, inclusive dialogue, this well-intentioned law risks becoming another unenforced decree, failing to protect the very women and girls it aims to save.
The President’s announcement, particularly made at the Fourth World Conference on Women, promises to elevate a temporary, three-year moratorium into a permanent national law. He committed to bolstering the ban with “nationwide dialogues and alternative livelihood programs,” acknowledging that legislation alone cannot erase a practice entangled in culture and economics.
This moment of potential transformation is shadowed by a stark global statistic. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, which it classifies as a severe violation of human rights. The practice remains a grim reality across 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
In Liberia, the issue is particularly acute, with FGM practiced in 11 of the nation’s 15 counties. The urgency was highlighted just weeks ago, on August 8, 2025, when approximately 500 girls graduated after weeks in the bush school in Lofa County, demonstrating the practice’s persistent grip despite the recent moratorium.
Among those reacting with cautious optimism is Alfreda Foboi Nmah, Executive Director of the advocacy group Helping Our People Excel (HOPE). In an exclusive interview with this paper, she acknowledged the significance of the President’s statement but immediately shifted focus to the monumental task of implementation. “I think it is a good step in the right direction,” Nmah stated. “However, we would like to say it’s about ensuring that the statement translates into actions, because many times we’ve heard it.”
Nmah’s caution is deeply informed by recent history. The previous three-year ban, proclaimed in 2022, was frequently violated, proving that proclamations from Monrovia have limited reach without genuine buy-in from rural communities and traditional leaders. “Just doing it immediately, it will not yield any result,” she emphasized, pointing to the limited efficacy of past dialogues and meetings.
To avoid repeating past failures, Nmah is advocating for a crucial preliminary step: a comprehensive roundtable discussion with traditional councils and leaders before the president formally makes the decision. She argues that this inclusive approach is non-negotiable for achieving lasting change.
The political dimensions of FGM further complicate the path forward. Nmah stresses that the practice is deeply intertwined with politics and culture, with some government officials historically using the issue as “power, and as influence” to secure votes during election cycles, rather than pursuing genuine eradication.
“The President needs to ensure that everyone involved in this practice is involved,” she asserted, calling for thorough county-to-county consultations. She believes the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, along with civil society organizations (CSOs), must play a central role in facilitating this process.
A critical element of any successful strategy, Nmah highlighted, is the provision of tangible alternative livelihoods for the practitioners, known as Zoes, whose economic survival is intrinsically linked to the practice. Without this, a ban simply pushes the practice further underground. “As these people are losing their livelihood, they are able to have alternative support that they can continue to live and not go back to the practice,” she argued.
She urged swift action upon the President’s return from the UN, recommending he immediately convene key ministries—including Internal Affairs, Justice, and Gender—alongside development partners to design a concrete and inclusive implementation plan.
Nmah’s concerns are strongly echoed by the Liberia Feminist Coalition, which welcomed the pledge as a “milestone victory” while simultaneously calling for a concerted focus on action. The coalition represents a unified front of women-led organizations that have campaigned for this ban for decades.
Esther S. D. Yango, Executive Director of WONGOSOL, a key coalition member, described the announcement as a “defining moment.” She celebrated the long-awaited commitment but clarified that the real work is just beginning. “We now look forward to concrete action that will make this a reality for all Liberian women and girls,” Yango stated.
The President’s commitment was positioned within the broader context of Liberia’s “Agenda for Inclusive Development,” which includes a massive pledge of US$8.3 billion over five years for initiatives in education, healthcare, and gender equality.
However, the coalition underscores that financial commitment and legislative frameworks are merely the starting blocks. The path to eradicating FGM requires a meticulous, culturally sensitive, and collaborative implementation strategy that addresses the practice’s deep-rooted socio-economic underpinnings.
“We must build on this momentum,” Yango emphasized. “This bold step by the President provides the framework for protecting women and girls, but it is through collective action—government, CSOs, communities, and development partners—that Liberia can end FGM.”
A reported lack of clear authority and cooperation has left traditional practitioners vulnerable and has contributed to a resurgence of the practice in some regions, undermining previous progress. For instance, on September 14 last year, Ma. Weto Musa, a prominent Zoe in Margibi County, graduated over 150 girls from her Zenah Hill Bush School. Some community members, in conversations with this paper in December, suggested the actual number was even higher, indicating the practice continues with significant momentum.
Internationally, Liberia is bound by its commitments to human rights protocols that condemn practices like FGM. Article V of the Maputo Protocol, which Liberia has ratified, explicitly obligates state parties to “prohibit and condemn all forms of harmful practices that negatively affect the human rights of women.”
Liberia further signaled its commitment to ending FGM during the Generation Equality Forum in Paris in 2021, pledging to eradicate harmful practices. Despite these international promises and the ongoing domestic efforts, a significant legislative gap remains.
Liberia persists as one of only three West African nations without a specific law criminalizing FGM. The journey to close this gap has been long; stakeholders gathered as recently as March of this year to review a draft bill at the RLJ Kendeja Resort. Advocates say the success of President Boakai’s pledge now hinges on transforming that draft into a law that is not only passed but is also understood, accepted, and enforced from the corridors of power to the most remote villages, where tradition and survival are deeply intertwined.
