-Say quitting FGM is painful
By G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
Since the pronouncement of the ban on Female Genital Mutilation FGM by the chief of the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders, Chief Zanan Karwor on February 6, 2023, NACCEL, in collaboration with the Government of Liberia, has been spearheading traditional ceremonies to mark the implementation of the ban in bush schools in all practicing counties.
Prior to the coming into being and implementation of the ban on FGM in Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount and Bong Counties, with the most recent in Nimba County, Zoes across the country have seen the practice of FGM as one of the honorable traditional practices in preparing women for marriage, and as a source of income to chiefs and zoes.
Without Knowing the negative implications of FGM for girls and women and cause severe bleeding and problem urinating, and later cysts infection as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn death.
With the coming into force of the ban on FGM, zoes of the eleven mendi-man practicing society have described the quitingof the harmful generational practice as “Painful” but yet befitting as a means of illumination from the acrimony of FGM and it medical consequences.
And as well as a means of creating an alternative livelihood that seeks to promote women empowerment and development.
Speaking Friday, October 27, 2023, at the ceremony that marked the closure of the bush schools in the traditional groves in Nimba County, the chief Zoe of Nimba County said that quitting a practice which has been passed on from one generation to another since the inception of time is painful, but for the sake of development, the zoes are quitting the practice.
“Leaving our practice is painful, but because of development we will stop”
The occasion which was held in Gbanquoi, Tappita District, Nimba County was organized by the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Liberia Crusaders for Peace, with support from the UN Women and funding from the Government of Swede.
At the occasion, the Nimba County chief Zoe stated that she inherited the practice from her late mother in 1964, and since then, practicing FGM and teaching tradition to women and girls has been a great joy, but realized that it is a greater joy to relinquish the practice of FGM for an alternative livelihood where she may no longer suffer during her old age.
“I started this practice in 1964 when it was passed down from my grand-mother.
Since then, I have been happy doing it and teaching women and girls.
Leaving it today is like someone died from me or something valuable has gone from me.
It is very much pitiful, but because of development, Chief Zanzan Kawar was able to persuade us to leave what we inherited from our great, great grand-parents. We taught children this thing and they went and got education and came back to tell us that it is a good idea to leave this thing, we will leave it because we don’t want to suffer. Leaving it is painful but because of the development that will teach our girl skills that will give them empowerment and take care of us, I am happy to leave it and turn over to the government the properties we inherited from our great, great grand-parents.”
The Nimba County chief Zoe further lauded the UN WOMEN and the Swedish government for the traditional heritage center and called upon them to bring in the needful equipment and teachers that will teach women and girls a new way of life that they may not regret giving their parents properties to the government.
“We are grateful for the heritage center, but we beg you people to bring the needed equipment that make this place comfortable.Bring in teachers that will teach our women and girls skill that they will learn and not regret giving to government their parents properties. Because, if we come and don’t have these things, we may regret and want to go back to the practice.”
Meanwhile, she revealed that the zoes have decided and agreed to leave the practice of FGM.
“We have decided and agreed to leave the practice of FGM.”
At the same time, the national traditional queen and culture ambassador Queen Julie Endee stated that the decision to abolish the practice of FGM is a decision that was taken willingly and not by cohesion of financial influence. She asserted that if the decision is not taken now, posterity will be the judge.
“We are here today because we want to be here. We are not here because someone gave us money, we are only here because we took a willing decision. If we don’t take this decision we are taking now, the world will judge us, our children will judge us.We are making the decision because, tomorrow, we want our children to say thank God our parents made this decision.”
The traditional queen added that the decision to do away with FGM and introduce the traditional heritage center is to help women and girls realize their potential through alternative livelihood and vocational training. “This decision to introduce a traditional heritage center is to help our women and girls realize their potential through alternative livelihood where they will be trained to soap-making, tied-dark, weaving, agriculture and other things that will empower our women and girls to realize their potential.”
She added that empowering woman and girls thought alternative livelihood is to ensure they have a brighter future rather than engaging in FGM to earn survival for a day. “The government of Sweden and UN WOMEN will not take this structure from. This structure is here to empower women and girls and stop violence against women and children by molding and renewing their minds.
If we say we must stop violence, and our children must stop violence against women and children, we ourselves must stop things that harm them.
We must stop things that are against international standers and practice.” the traditional queen said.
She further urged the Zoes and chief to be committed to the decision that their yes will be yes and they will not give in to negative influence. “Let us stand by this decision that our yes will be yes. Not listening to what people will say. Because they will say we made this decision because of money or some other influence. This is the right decision we are making for the brighter future of our children.”
Following the official closure program, the women voices newspaper interacted with a victim of FGM who preferred unanimity.
In a conversation with the 22 year old victim of the practice of FGM, from Nayao Nala, in Nimba County who has gone to grace the occasion, she expressed her delight to see the ban on FGM implemented across the country. She stated that it marks the beginning of a new day in the life of women and girls.
“I am happy to see the government stop this thing, because our children will not have to pass through what we experienced in the bush school. But they will learn new things. Though we learned good thing about how to take care of our children and husband, it is painful to woman to go through it, because some of our friend were bleeding for days, and even got sick.”
The twenty-two year old victim added that her initiation into the bush school was done willingly with the aid of her parents, because bush school is the place where tradition and home management are thought.
“With the influence of my parents, I willingly went to the traditional school because I was told by my parents that it was a place to prepare me for my husband and to bring up my own family, but was never told about anything life FGM till I went there.”
