By Ragan M Conteh

The Forum Against Harmful Practices  (FAHP) in collaboration with WAVES and Action Medeor has engaged Members of Parliament from different committees in Parliament on the alternative rite of passage, a strategy to unlink the Bondo culture from FGM.

The engagement took place at Hotel 5-10 in the east of Freetown.

Giving the purpose of the engagement, the Forum Secretary Madam Aminata Koroma said the purpose was geared towards advocating lawmakers to see the need and fully participate and join the movement to end FGM.

She informed lawmakers that the government of Sierra Leone has signed international treaties and instruments for the total elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

She cited the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW and other conventions.

She stressed that the FAHP activities is to support government on what they have signed into, adding that the Forum has done so much advocacy to end the practice of female genital cutting of a body party in all places in Sierra Leone.

According to Madam Koroma, the alternative rite of passage is a safe form of Bondo, stating that they have piloted the bloodless Bondo initiative in Port Loko, Tonkolili and Bo districts and all went successfully.

“What we are doing as activist is to give more power and education to women and girls. “In the Bondo bush we are training young girls on all aspects in the society excluding the cutting of the female genitalia.”

She said bondo is a society where women meet and discuss on their progress and empower themselves.

Madam Koroma maintained that Members of Parliament are very important in the advocacy as they fight hard to end FGM in the country.

The engagement was done in a bid to plead on the MPs to support the Forum and to serve as ambassadors in the fight to ending FGM.

She also elaborated on the need for MPs to stop sponsoring their constituents to conducting initiations of women and girls, stating that FGM is not a respecter of age of consent policy.

“FAHP is working for total abandonment of FGM. It is more dangerous when a woman is initiated into the society,” she asserted.

Madam Koroma also explained on the deaths of many girls in recent years and spoke on the ongoing court cases hearings which are related to FGM.

She spoke on the advocacy activities in communities across Sierra Leone.

She further said FAHP has engaged stakeholders on the dangers associated to the practice, citing the engagement with religious leaders, Chiefs, Soweis, parents and stakeholders of government..

She pointed out that they’d actively be supporting government in building schools in community through the replacement of bondo bush to schools, microcredits scheme and among many others.

She urged lawmakers to embrace the advocacy for the well-being of all Sierra Leoneans.

In his submissions, the Programs Manager of FAHP, Ishmael Cole spoke about programme implementation and how FAHP is working to end all forms of harmful traditional practices in Sierra Leone.

He said as a way to working towards clocking zero FGM, the forum has established husband clubs, school clubs of influence, community led initiatives which are all meant to remove the harm in the Bondo culture.

He further elaborates on scientific research which has proven that Sierra Leone is more FGM prone and is among the highest FGM prevalence.

He said there is currently no law on ending FGM but cited the preparation of the National Strategy which is yet to be signed by Social Welfare Ministry.

He stressed that the National Strategy to end FGM is not talking about ending Bondo society but it guides the pathway to eradicate FGM in the Bondo culture.

Mr. Cole alluded to the fact that MPs have critical role to play in ending FGM in their communities.

Rebecca Cole from the Amazonian Initiatives Movement (AIM) also gave her presentation on bloodless rite and how the implementation has been successfully done in communities in Port Loko, Tonkolili and Bo districts respectively.

In her response, the Member of Parliament from Western Area District, Hon. Miatta Amara thanked FAHP for education imparted to them on the dangers of FGM.

She said as lawmakers they are listening to the voices of rights activists and will take their messages down to their subjects.

She urged the forum to go down to the communities and educate the people on similar engagements and by so doing FGM practice will end.

Hon. Daniel Fornah from Tonkolili District also thanked FAHP for the engagement and urged the Forum to put more weight on community engagements than the elites.

He said the communities are more prevalence on FGM and they should be educated on the dangers associated to it.

Hon. Rosy Kanu from Western Area also spoke on the need for more advocacies and pledged to take the fight further.

Many lawmakers made strong commitments to joining the fight against FGM.