– National Chiefs and Elders Council Head, Chief Zanzan Karwor Declares
By: Jerromie S. Walters
Todee District, Montserrado County: Following decades of struggle to end the harmful practice of female genital mutilation in Liberia, traditional women across Montserrado County have resolved to end the practice, as the head of the Chiefs and Elders Council, Chief Zanzan Karwor, has placed a permanent ban on the practice, thus disclosing drastic traditional punishments for traditional women who will violate the mandate.
In an official statement on the ban against the harmful practice, issued midday Monday, February 6, 2023, in Sonkay Town, Todee District, Montserrado County, Chief Zanzan Karwor declared a permanent ban on female genital mutilation in Montserrado County in commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)-2023.
The ban controversially covers all other counties but will be followed by major engagements with traditional women of the remaining 10 counties, as it was done in Montserrado, before taking full effect.
“With the power vested in me, I declare FGM banned, and no one has the authority to bring it back, not even those who will come to you and tell you to vote for them so they can bring it back,” he noted.
The Head of the Traditional Council specifically attributed his decision to the fact that he doesn’t want Liberia to be excluded from global benefits and to meet up with international standards on human rights.
The Head of the National Council of Chief and Elders in Liberia (NACCEL), Chief Zanzan Karwor, further vowed to cordially engage with every traditional leader to abolish FGM in the remaining ten counties if the respect they deserve as traditional leaders is given to them.
At the event, which was held in commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)-2023 under the theme “Partnership with men and boys to transform social and gender norms to end FGM,” the head Zoe of Montserrado County, Massah Kandakai, noted that they have permanently left the harmful practice.
Ma Massah Kandakai said following engagements with the head of the Traditional Council of Liberia, and the government’s international partners on the education of the effects of FGM, she has finally decided to let go of the practice, not just temporarily, but for good.
“I, Massah Kandakai, am tired of that thing; if I didn’t want to do it, I was not going to do it; even the government can’t force me, so I’m not even here for three years; I’m leaving it altogether,” she disclosed.
She continued, “It’s banned forever because I gave the loads, but what your gat for us, your gat to give it to us”.
Following the ban placed on the practice of female genital mutilation in Liberia, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor thanked the Head of the Chiefs and Elders Council of Liberia for his commitment to the fight against FGM and ensuring that it has yielded fruits after decades of struggles.
The Vice President while excited about the traditional women’s commitment to the process, urged the UN Women and other international partners to ensure that the Sonkay Town Heritage center is fully equipped and ready to be used by the traditional women the soonest as possible time.
Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor believes the facility’s availability now is crucial to keeping the women engaged with positive traditional practices, which is the major reason the facility was constructed.
At the same time, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for FGM and Child Marriage in Africa, Ms. Jaha Dukereh vowed to closely work with the government in ensuring an end to FGM.
She thanked officials of the government and the traditional council for their hospitality over the period.
The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador on FGM and Child Marriage in Africa urged the government’s international partners to continue their support for the fight against FGM, adding that it’s among the lowest-funded missions in the world.
Ms. Dukereh pleaded for more support from the international community in the fight against FGM, as the traditional women have officially and finally decided to end the dreadful practice.
She promised to be a lead advocate for Liberian women on the international stage and further assured her commitment to supporting the construction of additional heritage centers in the remaining seven FGM counties across Liberia.
Moreover, UN Women Country Representative Comfort Lamptey hailed government agencies and international partners that have aided the fight against FGM in Liberia.
She renewed UN Women’s commitment to the fight against FGM in Liberia.
While reading the proclamation of the observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)-2023 on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, Ms. Comfort Lamptey articulated that FGM is engulfed in the same gender inequalities and complex social norms that limit women’s participation and leadership and restrict their access to education and employment across the globe.
She believes that the dreadful practice is one of the most vicious manifestations of the patriarchy, which permeates the world and also serves as an abhorrent violation of fundamental human rights that causes lifelong damage to the physical and mental health of women and girls.
“On the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, let’s commit to social change and strong partnerships to put an end to female genital mutilation once and for all,” she added.
For her part, Gender Minister Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr launched the alternative livelihood program, strategized by the government and her partners for traditional women as they end the harmful aspects of the Liberian tradition.
She said activities to be carried out at the heritage centers include agriculture and vocational skills (again, the choice of skills to be trained in will depend on the users).
She added that the center will facilitate savings and loans to individual women.
service center, as women users will agree on services to provide within their capacity at the centers, and a literacy program, where women will also use the center as a venue for learning basic literacy and numeracy.
She added that the facility will provide formal education, specifically for the children of women users and potentially other children from the community, depending on capacity.
Minister Saydee-Tarr thanked the traditional leaders and the government international, for their support to the government toward the fight against FGM, adding that it boasted the government’s efforts and ensured that it was addressed effectively.
She admonished the partners to continue their support in order to ensure that FGM is totally resolved throughout Liberia.
At the same time, the Culture Ambassador, Queen Juli Endee, believes that a lack of education has resulted in individuals misinterpreting the true essence of the Sands society.
She narrated that traditionally, there are three kinds of sande: the Mua, Zoba, and Kpowa sandes.
Among the three, the ambassador alluded to the fact that the traditional women and the council at large had resolved to end the Mua and Zoba sandes, which are the ones that involve mutilation.
She clarified that though the ban has been placed, the international partners should consider that the Kpowa sande will still be practiced because it has absolutely no harm on women.
Ambassador Endee mentioned that years ago, the fight against FGM was channeled in a disrespectful manner, but noted that her desire to join the fight lately was due to the moderate manner and forms it was done in by the UN Women and other international partners.
The Traditional Queen applauded the UNFPA for the spotlight initiative, which lays the basis for a more responsible and moderate fight against FGM, and further assured that the commitment of the European Union and the government of Liberia will not go in vain.
Additionally, she clarified that the quest of the traditional women is not to be paid financially to end sande, but their desire is to have alternative livelihood skills that will aid them thereafter.
Meanwhile, the European Union Ambassador to Liberia, Laurent Delahosse, described the moment after the declaration of the ban on FGM as a new dawn, noting that scores of young women and girls will now be freed of all forms of harmful traditional practices.
He believes that one culture is what gives them their identity, and as such, his commitment is assured to the practice of positive traditional practices.
He thanked the Head of the Chiefs and Elders Council for his support towards ending FGM and assured that the EU will continue after the end of the spotlight program.
Additionally, the Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, Urban Sjostrom, congratulated Montserrado for what he termed the first step to end FGM in Liberia.
He believes traditions are key, but one should always consider the positive aspects.
Ambassador Urban Sjostrom expressed hope that the legal aspect of the county’s commitment is assured also.
Simultaneously, a Representative of the US Embassy at the event termed Liberia as a leader in making meaningful decisions, including human trafficking, FGM, and a lot more.
He said he doesn’t want the traditional women to think or believe that they are losing their tradition, but rather that they are kickstarting a new one.
Moreover, he assured the US’s commitment to supporting the practice of traditions in the most positive manner.
The closure ritual
On Friday, January 20, 2023, the closure rituals of the initiation without mutilation on female genital mutilation (FGM) in Liberia were implemented by the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and UN Women.
It was at this point that the zoos in Montserrado County finally decided to end the harmful practice, and they broke down their various bushes as an assurance of their commitment.
The initiative was supported by Ambassador Jaha Dukereh, UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on FGM and Child Marriage, and the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia.
It was held in commemoration of Female Genital Mutilation Day, with a focus on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), on Friday, January 20, 2023, in Sonkay Town, Todee District, Montserrado County, Liberia.
FGM in Liberia
Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
In Liberia and other parts of Africa, the practice is attributed to traditional belief and sometimes religion.
It is practiced in eleven (11) out of the five (15) counties in Liberia.
The practice has no health benefits for girls and women, as it can also cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, and infections, as well as complications in childbirth and an increased risk of newborn deaths.
Howbeit, Liberia remains one of the three West African countries that do not have a law criminalizing FGM despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights instruments condemning the practice as a human rights violation, including the Maputo Protocol.
Efforts to end FGM in Liberia
In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, in collaboration with the Government of Liberia, proclaimed a three-year ban on the practice of FGM from 2022 to 2025, but over the past few months, there have also been stories of forceful initiation into the Sande society where FGM is practiced.
In November last year, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador to Africa on FGM and Child Marriage, Jaha Dukereh, visited Liberia to strengthen efforts aimed at ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia.
Following Ms. Dukereh’s visit, she engaged with various changemakers, including government officials, the diplomatic community, traditional leaders, civil society, women’s organizations, and the media.
She also reinforced public knowledge and increased education on the depth, scale, and devastating consequences of FGM and further vowed to be an advocate for Liberia on the global stage if the country was willing to end FGM.
On November 28, 2022, the government’s international partners and officials of the Government of Liberia dedicated a heritage and vocational center for traditional women in Sonkay Town, Todee District, Montserrado County, aimed at providing a better space for the positive aspects of the Liberian tradition to be practiced.
Also on November 23, 2022, UN Women officially launched a vocational and heritage center for traditional women in Ganquoi Town, Nimba County, which was also aimed at ending FGM.
Both the Sonkay Town and the Ganquoi Town, Nimba County Heritage Centers, are two of four vocational and heritage centers established by UN Women under the framework of the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative.
The four centers are expected to provide alternative economic livelihood programs to former traditional practitioners of FGM in Liberia.
