— In Observance of International Day of Zero Tolerance against FMG
–More Counties to Follow with Support of International Partners
IPNEWS-Monrovia: The traditional Society in Liberia mainly comprised of the Sande and Poro that are trusted custodians of “culture” in much of Liberia and have been present in the West Africa region for centuries as well. Poro for the men and Sande for women.
These societies are traditionally believed to inculcate values and teach skills conducive to communal harmony and to prepare children for the rigors of adulthood.
The Sande, is a women’s initiation society found in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. The Sande society initiates girls into adulthood by rituals including female genital mutilation. Generally, the Sande initiates girls into womanhood, etiquette, mannerism, midwifery, community service, among others.
While the government and its partners both local and international recognize the good values of the Sande society or ‘Bush school’, a campaign to eradicate the harmful traditional practices that that these Sande society carried out, which had been ongoing for years finally came to bear.
And on Monday, February 6, 2023, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders, joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
In Liberia, the day was observed with an indoor program that brought together representatives from the eleven (11) FGM practicing counties.
Liberia Traditional Queen, Juli Endee, Chief Zanzan Karwor, UN Goodwill Ambassador Ma Musu Jaha Dukureh and others at the ceremony on Monday in Todee (Photo: UN Women)
On December 20, 2012 the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/67/146 calling on states, the United Nations system, Civil Society and all stakeholders to observe February 6 each year as International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The resolution seeks to intensify global efforts to eliminate FGM and raise awareness on the practice.
FGM is being recognized as a violation of the human right of women and girls reflecting deep rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.
With support from the United Nations, particularly UN-Women and other stakeholders, the Government of Liberia in partnership with National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders (NACCEL) conducted a multi-stakeholders dialogue with traditional leaders from eleven (11) FGM practicing counties in June, 2019 which resolved to conduct an inventory to develop database of Sande Bushes in the Country.
Following the dialogue, a policy statement was issued affirming their consent to adjust the timing of the bushes and modernize the practice amongst others. Liberia is one of three West African countries that have not yet made female genital mutation (FGM) illegal.
The commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance against FGM encourages activists to focus on the issues against Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage that are most pertinent to our local context.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has reiterated that it remains committed to work with all partners to push for systemic change and accountability while promoting equality for all. In this direction, Gender and partners intend to heighten the advocacy for the eradication of FGM through screening of documentary, engaging more traditional leaders and bringing them on board to join the fight against FGM.
This year’s observance of the FGM’s Day took place in Songhay Town, Todee District, in Montserrado County.
While there are still inequalities affecting women to include female genital mutilation (FGM), there have been significant progresses and commitments from the Government of Liberia to include the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia supported by the One UN System, European Union, as well as International and National Organizations, including civil society organizations.
It can be recalled, in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Internal affairs and the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia to suspend all bush schools as an agreeable action in ending harmful traditional practices in Liberia for the period of one year.
This period was used to conduct inventory of traditional groves and map out traditional practitioners in FGM practicing counties. Eventually, a three-year ban was effected in February 2022 through consistent engagement with the authorities (National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs) clothed with all matters relating to the FGM practice and tradition to get buy-in in all policies, projects and programs relating to traditional matters, such as FGM.
Traditional Zoes in Sankay Town during the ceremony (Photo: UN Women)
This has set the pace for significant progresses made regarding Liberia’s fight towards ending FGM, within the context of the 2018 Agreed Conclusion of the 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (Strengthen normative, legal and policy frameworks) relative to the Review Theme and the Emerging Issue of the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67).
Gender Ministry Bans FGM in Montserrado County
On Monday, February 6, 2023 Sonkay Town in Todee District in Montserrado County, a community in rural Montserrado County, that has been a frontline of one of the biggest cultural battles in Liberia in recent times, became the venue where the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Gender announced a ban on all Female Genital Mutilation (PGM) practices in Montserrado County, which is a pilot for future bans in other counties.
“Initiation without Mutilation – means the Zoes should keep all the positive part of the culture, but leave out the cutting of the girls.”
After years of negotiations, the Zoes of the traditional societies who practice FGM surrendered their cutting tools and committed to the end the practice. The Zoes took that major step under the direction of Zanzan Karwor, head of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL).
Speaking at the ceremony, Montserrado County female Zoe leader, Madam Massa Kandakai acknowledged the ban of the harmful traditional practices and the closure of Sande bushes in the County, but requested the UN, Government and their Partners to give them what they have requested.
“I Massa Kandakai say it must be closed and it’s close for good. I finish agree yaa, but what you get for us, your do it for us”, the Monsterrado Chief Female Zoe declared.
On her part, UN Women Liberia County Representative, Comfort Lamptey said the ban on FGM in Montserrado that begins the journey to future bans in the other counties that carry out the harmful traditional practice, was an important moment in the fight to eradicate FGM.
The UN Women head noted “All the previous efforts as far as we see it, are steps in a journey that will lead to eventual abolition throughout Liberia”. “And I think that this current commitment is perhaps the boldest they have done because they have agreed to abandon the practice.”
Reading the Proclamation on behalf of UN Secretary General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, the UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Lamptey said, FGM is one of the most vicious manifestations of the patriarchy that 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.
According to her, the act is rooted 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.
“On the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, let’s commit to social change and strong partnerships to put to an end to Female Genital Mutilation once and for all”, UN Women Country Representative Ms. Lamptey asserted.
She however, called everyone to collaborate as powerful allies in challenging and ending the scourge, as their theme for this year “Call on men and boys everywhere to join them in speaking out and stepping forward to end female genital mutilation, for the benefit of all.”
Meanwhile, Reading the Statement of Progress in FGM activities, the Traditional Queen of Liberia, Juli Endee said they have agreed to close and ban FGM activities and will gradually continue in other Counties if the necessary measures are put in place.
“We have 11 Counties that are practicing FGM, for Montserrado we have done our traditional rituals practices for 19 days and nights to speak with our ancestors which allowed us to come to such decisions”, Juli Endee assured the public.
Juli noted that Sande School is one of the oldest traditional institutions across the World but the lack of education have made many people to explain things on the contrary.
“We have three kinds of Sande Societies, the Mua Sande is practiced by Muslim, Zoebar Sande is practiced by the mask and Kpowah Sande is a practice that involves initiation without mutilation”, she stated.
According to her, they are banning the Mua and Zoebar but will continue the practice of Kpowah to teach their inheritance their culture as it is meant to educate their young girls about patriotism, skills, royalty among others in order not to lose the culture.
Meanwhile, making a special statement on the closure of the FGM practice in Montserrado County, the Chairman of the National Council of Chief and Elders in Liberia NACCEL, Chief Zanzan Kawah noted that they will collaborate with every traditional leader to abolish FGM in the remaining ten Counties if the respect they due as traditional leaders is given to them.
He said, “No one has the authority to bring FGM back, not even those who will come to you telling you to vote for them so they can bring it back”.
Chief Zanzan Kawah maintained that they are doing so because they don’t want Liberia to be left behind but for the whole World to help the Country.
On her part, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Williametta Piso Saydee-Tarr, in launching the Alternative Economic Livelihood Program for traditional Zoes who have abolished FGM, expressed happiness for the fruition of years of discussions to abolish FM in Montserrado County.
She said through the encouragement of President George Weah and with support from Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection was able to engage and work with the traditional leaders in working out mechanisms that have led to the banning of FM in Montserrado County, following the placing of a three-year moratorium on Sande activities in the country.
Minister Saydee-Tarr stared the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection will remain committed to work with all partners to push for systemic change and accountability while promoting equality for all. In this direction, Gender and partners intend to heighten the advocacy for the eradication of FGM through screening of documentary, engaging more traditional leaders and bringing them on board to join the fight against FGM.
Commenting further, the Gender Minister stated as the government was banning FGM activities in Montserrado with future bans expected in other counties, an alternative was found for the Zoes who previously relied on the FGM practices. She disclosed with support of UN Women and funding from the European Union and United Nations, a vocational and heritage center was built in Todee on five acres that used to host the largest bush school. The compound now has a school with six classrooms, a dining hall and a hall.
The heritage center and the opportunities it will provide will help them attract other investors and development partners with the new skills for economic empowerment. She noted the Government is not just pursuing the alternative livelihood programs for the Zoes in exchange for FGM practice for livelihood but rather to educate them in other aspects of livelihood, including acquiring skills that will bring income to replace income previously gotten through FGM practice. Minister Saydee-Tarr also said the Zoes and traditional leaders themselves are going to decide what other programs they want to offer at the center, and what the Ministry of Gender will do is to mobilize the resources for that to happen.
Minister Saydee-Tarr has meanwhile lauded the traditional leaders, including the Zoes who have decided to spearhead the initiative to finally abolish FGM throughout the entire country. She said Montserrado County is fully banned as the Zoes themselves are part of a task force that will move from point to point to ensure that FGM is banned for good in Liberia.
She also said there is a bill before the House of Representative for enactment that will legitimize the ban on FGM in Liberia, but the traditional leaders after years of discussions have agreed to stop FM practice, beginning in Montserrado County, which is very historical in Liberia today.
There were several local international partners at the ceremony to ban FGM in Liberia held in Songay Town in Todee, including Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Culture who represented Minister Varney Sirleaf, who was on a mission with his Ivorian counterpart on the issue of Burkinabes crossing over to Liberia. The Assistant Internal Minister lauded the Gender Ministry and its international partners who ensured that the beginning of the banning of FM in Liberia starts in Todee in Montserrado County.
As for UN Goodwill Ambassador on FGM, Ma Musu Jaha Dukureh; a Representative of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, European Union Delegation in Liberia, Embassy of Sweden, the United States Embassy, among others, they thanked the traditional leaders, the Zoes, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for their hard work to make years of many discussions come to fruition, with the banning of FGM in Montserrado County.
The partners have all assured the Gender Ministry of their unflinching supports in efforts to totally eradicate the practice of FGM in Liberia.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who graced the occasion as chief guest in special remarks paid homage to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the traditional leaders, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including the Zoes and every partner who contributed significantly for the first stage of the eradication of FGM in Liberia, starting with the ban in Montserrado County.
The Vice President then appealed to the UN system to furnish the vocational and heritage center for the Zoes, as well as provide logistics for mobility in their quest along with the Liberian government to have FGM abolished throughout Liberia.
The Heritage and vocational center constructed in Sonkay Town in Todee District for skills training by traditional leaders (Photo: UN Women)
She said the Sonkay center which is a pilot will help spurn on other Zoes to move quickly to abolish FGM in their respective counties once they see the dividends being accrued from the Montserrado County pilot.
Vice President Taylor recounted how tedious it was during negotiation and discussions before reaching a point for the traditional leaders to agree to abolish FMG practice, a source of income for them for many years. She lauded them and thanked the Gender Ministry, its partners and everyone who contributed to the project in Montserrado County to abolish FGM which will serve as impetus for other counties that practice FGM to implement same.
Traditional Council Suspends “Sande Bush” -For 3 Years, Says Practice Harmful
It can be recalled ongoing stakeholders’ engagement seeking to abolish Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices throughout Liberia made a milestone step forward when the Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) suspended Sande Bush practice in Montserrado County for 3 years and announced that the exercise will be extended to other counties subsequently.
The practice was suspended by Chief Zanzan Karwor, Chairman of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, at the closure of the program on Rituals of Initiation without Mutilation on Female Genitals in Liberia, held in Sankay Town, Todee District, Montserrado County, January 20, 2023.
Giving the purpose of program, Ambassador Juli Endee of the Liberia Crusaders for Peace (LCP) and Co- Chair of the Taskforce on FGM, said that the initiative when fully localized is expected to put Liberia on par with global decision to abolish FGM and other bad traditional practices.
Ambassador Juli Endee noted that after the suspension period traditional people will continue their initiation but it will be done without mutilation, adding that the traditional practitioners will take the best practices working closely with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Varney Sirleaf to make sure that the vision to abolish FGM succeeds. She emphasized that nobody will succeed when the initiative is not localized and revealed that in February this year in Sangay Town with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gender, UN Women, CSOs, the initiative will finally close in Montserrado County.
At the program, a moratorium titled “Policy Statement by Traditional Leaders on the Temporary Suspension of Sande Practices in Liberia” done on February 4, 2022 in Gbarnga City, Bong County was read in the presence of all in attendance. The policy document recommends that all Sande practicing counties or districts should be included in the UN and EU Spotlight program. It also said that the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs should withdraw all operating certificates from traditional practitioners in Liberia.
It further recommended that the National Council of Chiefs and Elders and the Ministry of Internal Affairs should re-license and register trained Zoes who have undergone positive reform activities after the 3-year suspension period, adding that the traditional bush school be conducted at least 45 miles from city limits.
The document also said the implementation and effectiveness of the pronouncement be monitored by the MGCSP, MIA, NACCEL, and CSOs to ensure that the pronouncement is adhered to.
Accordingly, alternative livelihood support including infrastructure development covers all eleven FGM practicing counties.
Also, the statement outlines the penalty for individuals that will not adhere to the policy document, to include any traditional leader, practitioner, or Sande Zoe caught violating the pronouncement during the period of suspension shall be penalized according to the traditional laws and policy of Liberia and held liable as per the following.
“Section 50 (7b) of the penal laws of Liberia which states that the first offense for a misdemeanor of the second degree to the definite term of improvement to be fixed by the court for the period more than 30 days.
“For the second offense the person will go to jail for one year if said person violates the policy document which was signed by all the counties and attested by Chief Zanzan Karwor National Chairman, NACCEL, Minister Varney Sirleaf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, As well Minister Williametta E. Saydee Tarr, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection”, the statement said.
