MONROVIA; Women Solidarity Incorporated (WOSI), a national women-focused NGO and civil society organization in Liberia, has launched the findings of its review survey and documentary on the 2019 Anti-FGM Law Advocacy Project.
The event took place recently, at the Fadez Building in the Neezoe Community, Monrovia. The ceremony brought together a cross-section of national stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, state actors, civil society and human rights advocates, women’s groups, and students many of whom praised the initiative as a vital step in addressing harmful traditional practices.
Speaking at the launch, WOSI Executive Officer, Madam Grace T. Kollie, described the 2019 project as a “bold campaign” aimed at creating national awareness around the proposed Anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) law and galvanizing public support for a national ban on the practice. Although the proposed law did not pass in 2019, Kollie noted that the advocacy contributed significantly to a one-year nationwide suspension of FGM and the closure of Sande Bush schools—traditional institutions where FGM is often performed.
This suspension was enacted in July 2019 by the Government of Liberia through the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with support from WANEP Liberia, UN Women, WOSI, and other civil society groups.
Six years later, WOSI has returned to the affected communities to evaluate what worked, what did not, and what can help Liberia move forward.
The assessment project, titled “Looking Back at WOSI’s Implemented LFS Funding Project of 2019,” included a nationwide survey named “Looking Back to Move Forward: Checking the Results of WOSI’s 2019 Anti-FGM Work in Liberia.” Using a mixed-methods approach, WOSI gathered data through structured surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and a new documentary film.
The research targeted communities in Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Montserrado counties areas where the Sande tradition remains deeply rooted.
According to the findings, the 2019 advocacy project made meaningful progress in awareness-raising but highlighted several critical gaps.
Key recommendations included strengthening follow-up mechanisms to ensure sustained impact, connecting advocacy efforts to livelihood programs such as soap-making, tailoring, savings groups, and adult literacy, and ensuring continuous engagement with traditional leaders to foster community ownership and intergenerational dialogue.
The report also emphasized the need to empower more women-led groups, promote male allyship, broaden outreach platforms through radio and community theater, and align future anti-FGM efforts with President Joseph Boakai’s 2025 UN General Assembly commitment to end harmful traditional practices.
Copies and digital links to the survey and documentary were shared with stakeholders at the close of the event, marking another chapter in Liberia’s ongoing effort to eliminate FGM and protect the rights of women and girls.
