Liberia celebrates end of FGM in fourth county, 7 more to go
Liberia has made significant feats as another region, Nimba County, has abandoned the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
At a ceremony held at the Gbanquoi Vocational and Heritage Centre constructed by UN women, former traditional practitioners in the area ceremoniously handed over their tools to the Chairperson of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Karwor.
According to local media The New Dawn, they wore white attires to mark the significant event.
The practice which involves altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons has been recognised internationally as a violation of human rights of the girls and women who are subjected to it.
In recent times, Liberia has made huge efforts to fight the practice which is considered harmful with three counties in the country to have ended the practice.
The move by Nimba County makes it the fourth out of eleven other counties practising the traditional rituals in the country.
It is also in line with a declaration of a ban on FGM throughout Liberia by the Chairperson of the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia early this year.
Ambassador Juli Endee, Executive Director for Crusaders of Peace and Cultural Queen of Liberia, indicated the willingness of traditional leaders to quit the practice driven by the hope to drive development.
Comfort Lamptey, UN Women’s Country Representative for Liberia according to The New Dawn praised Nimba County as home to four vocational and heritage centres established with the support of the European Union and the United Nations through the Spotlight Initiative.
“These centres aim to provide former traditional practitioners of FGM with alternative economic livelihood programs while preserving cultural heritage without FGM,” she was quoted by The New Dawn.
The event was graced by stakeholders including representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Embassy of Sweden, UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, civil society organisations, local authorities from Nimba and traditional practitioners from various counties.
