Monrovia, Liberia–The father of a recent victim of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is calling on the Liberian government to take decisive legal action by enacting a national law that criminalizes the practice, which continues to claim lives across rural communities despite a temporary cultural ban.
In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders (NACCEL) introduced a three-year suspension of FGM, meant to last until February 2025.
This was reinforced in 2023 by a public declaration from traditional leaders in all 15 counties, aligning with the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
Yet, these declarations-though well-intentioned, have proven ineffective, lacking the legal weight to stop the harmful practice.
The reality in towns like Bokay’s Town, Grand Bassa County, tells a grim story.
A victim who recently fled the area with his family is now demanding action from Liberia’s National Legislature.
Speaking under anonymity, he described how his family endured years of trauma after losing three relatives-two young girls and their father-due to FGM-related complications.
“This goes beyond tradition,” he said. “It’s a crisis of human rights. Without a law, more girls will continue to die in silence.”
The father recounted how his daughters were forced into FGM. After receiving threats and being pursued by traditional enforcers, the family was forced to flee their home under cover of darkness.
Their journey took them across multiple Liberian counties and neighboring countries—including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast—in a desperate attempt to shield their daughters from the secret bush school initiations carried out by traditional female elders known as “zoes.”
A particularly harrowing moment came on May 3, 2024, the night after his birthday.
While he was away working in Monrovia, armed enforcers broke into their home in Bokay’s Town demanding the family surrender their daughters for initiation. That same night, the family escaped to Bo-Waterside, crossing into Sierra Leone.
But safety remained elusive.
“We kept moving-from Nimba County to Guinea, to remote villages,” he said. “In one village, a kind 70-year-old woman sheltered us. She had also survived FGM and had opposed the practice her whole life.”
Despite being in hiding, tragedy continued to strike. On June 6, the family received heartbreaking news: three-year-old Georgina Wallace-a close friend of their daughter Precious-had died from FGM complications.
The news devastated the family, especially young Precious, who suffered emotional trauma and nightmares in the weeks that followed.
