By Ragan M. Conteh
Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone — In a bold move to combat female genital mutilation (FGM), the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM-SL) convened a two-day training session on 17–18 September 2025 in Mamanso Sanka Town, Konike Fulawusu Chiefdom. The initiative brought together Paramount Chiefs, Chiefdom Speakers, Traditional Leaders, Soweis, and Youth Leaders to galvanize community action against FGM and promote a safer future for women and girls.
Sponsored by Cot World, the training aimed to dismantle harmful traditional practices and foster a cultural shift toward dignity, education, and empowerment. Grassroots activist and AIM-SL Executive Director Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay Koroma led the charge, warning that FGM continues to marginalize women and girls, especially in rural areas.
“FGM has both short- and long-term effects on women and girls,” Madam Turay said. “We are working with all stakeholders, including traditional leaders and soweis, to abandon this practice, which threatens the safety, dignity, and future of our women and girls.”
She criticized political figures who support FGM-linked traditions, urging them to prioritize education over practices that offer no health, economic, or social benefits. Madam Turay also condemned the current Child Rights Bill before Parliament, which fails to explicitly criminalize FGM. Campaigners are now calling on President Julius Maada Bio to reject the bill in its current form and demand a total ban on FGM.
The training highlighted the devastating consequences of FGM, including severe pain, infections, childbirth complications, and lasting psychological trauma. Survivors often face reduced sexual function and a loss of bodily autonomy — a violation of their most basic human rights.
Paramount Chief Bai Kafarie Sumbali II of Konike Fulawusu Chiefdom welcomed the initiative, affirming that the government does not oppose the Bondo society as a cultural institution but strongly condemns FGM. “The government frowns at FGM because it demeans the dignity of women,” he stated, urging his people to take the training seriously and apply its lessons in daily life.
Participants pledged to become ambassadors for change, replicating the training in their communities and among their peers. The movement emphasized that ending FGM is not about erasing culture, but about protecting lives and fulfilling Sierra Leone’s obligations under international treaties such as CEDAW, CRC, and the Maputo Protocol.
As the nation stands at a crossroads, activists say the time for legislative clarity is now. A law that explicitly bans FGM would mark a historic step toward safeguarding the rights of Sierra Leone’s daughters — ensuring that no girl is left behind.