–As National Council Of Chiefs SuspendsPoro and Sande in Liberia
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – In a move to safeguard children’s rights and preserve Liberia’s cultural integrity, the National Council of Chiefs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has announced the immediate suspension of all Poro and Sande Society Schools until January 2026. The decision follows an emergency joint session chaired by Honorable F. Sakila Nyumalin, Sr., Minister of Internal Affairs, and Paramount Chief Arthur W. Dowah, Chairman of the National Council of Chiefs, on March 25, 2025.
The Poro and Sande are traditional secret societies in West Africa, with Poro being the men’s society and Sande the women’s counterpart. However, Sande’s link with female genital mutilation (FGM) has portrayed the practice differently. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Female genital mutilation (FGM) as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
During a closed-door meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, chiefs and government officials raised alarming issues regarding the misuse of Liberia’s sacred cultural institutions, including commercialization of Traditions, violation of Children’s Rights, disrespect for Liberian Culture, disruptions to the Economy, lack of Regulation, Chiefs’ Political Involvement and Drug Abuse Epidemic.
The agencies believe that Sande and Poro schools are being exploited for financial gain, deviating from their original purpose and it interferes with formal education and concerns over underage enrollment.
Also, erosion of traditional values and dignity of chiefs, Conflicts between traditional societies and concession companies affecting national revenue, No clear laws governing operations, leading to abuses, compromising their neutrality in peace and security matters, and limited authority of chiefs to combat substance abuse in communities.
Major Recommendations & Directives
After extensive deliberations, the Council issued the following mandatory measures, endorsed by Minister Nyumalin: 1. Immediate Suspension: All Poro and Sande schools must cease operations by April 30, 2025, with a moratorium until January 5, 2026. 2. Graduation Deadline: All current initiates must complete their training before April 30, 2025—violators face prosecution. 3. New Regulations: Strict guidelines will be established to govern future operations, including age restrictions and oversight. 4. Dissolution of Cultural Coordinators: All current tradition coordinators are dismissed, pending new appointments by county chiefs. 5. Enforcement Mandate: Superintendents, mayors, and chiefs must ensure full compliance or face penalties. 6. Restoration of Chiefs’ Authority: Chiefs must uphold cultural integrity and remain apolitical in peacebuilding efforts.
Paramount Chief Arthur W. Dowah, Chairman of the Council, emphasized: “This decision is not against our traditions but to cleanse them from abuse. Our culture must protect, not exploit, our children.”
Hon. F. Sakila Nyumalin, Sr. added: “The government stands with the chiefs in enforcing these reforms. Liberia’s heritage must align with human rights and national development.”
A national task force will oversee implementation, with monthly progress reports submitted to the Ministry. Traditional leaders will also collaborate with the Ministry of Education to ensure children return to formal schooling. The suspension of the two practices comes as the government’s initial three-year ban on FGM recently ended without a formal proclamation. In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia proclaimed a three-year ban on the practice of FGM from 2022 to 2025, during an anti-FGM event in Nimba County.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM, with the practice being prevalent in 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In Liberia, FGM is practiced in 11 of the country’s 15 counties. The WHO terms FGM as a violation of human rights.
The suspension of the Poro Society also comes
following a lack of cooperation between the government and traditional women that led to traditional women being vulnerable, resulting in the resurgence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in other parts of the country. On September 14 last year, Ma. Weto Musa, a prominent Zoe in Margibi County who owns and operates the Zenah Hill Bush School in the area graduated over 150 girls. She confirmed it to this publication. However, some community members said the number was higher following an inquiry by this paper in December last year.
The Societies
The Poro society, also known as Purrah or Purroh, is a men’s secret society primarily concerned with the initiation of young boys into adulthood, and it also holds important military, commercial, and judicial authority. The Poro society is found in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast, introduced by the Mane people (the Mande Elites leading large-scale migrations from the Mali Empire into the southern coastal areas).
Poro prepares men for leadership, wisdom, and responsibility, and initiates them into the secrets and customs of the community. During the initiation period, young men learn a secret language and undergo extensive training and service, preparing them for their roles in the community. The Vai, Mende, Gola, De, and Southern Kpelle peoples within the Poro society have a helmet-shaped wooden mask known as gbetu or bowu which, though may appear during the Poro initiation period, does not play a major ceremonial role. On the other hand, the Sande society, also known as Bundu, is the female counterpart of the Poro society, focusing on the initiation of young girls into adulthood and women’s affairs in nearly every aspect. Sande teaches young women how to become wives, and mothers, and manage their homes, as well as social etiquette, and how to hold societal positions. Sande initiation teaches young women about their roles in the community, including how to become wives, and mothers, and manage their homes. The Sande society uses sowei masks, which are helmet-shaped wooden masks, that perform important ritual functions during the Sande initiation period.
