Samuel Kallon 
By Ragan M. Conteh
The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) has ended a two-day-training of trainers (TOT) for frontline professionals including focal teachers, community outreach officers on gender and FGM issues.
The trainees were presented with FGM training manual produced by a leading consultant Rev. Moses Frederick Khanu funded by Irish Aid.
The two day engagement was held at the Prince Tuner Hall, Black Hall Road Igbo Town, Waterloo in the Western Rural District.
It was organized starting from Thursday 27th and ended on Friday 28th June 2024, and the program was very engaging and impactful.
The participants who attended came from implementing partners including (WAADO-Waterloo and ACT-Pujehun).
The development of the training manual was funded by the Irish Aid through the project titled: “Strengthening FAHP for the coordination of FGM reduction in Sierra Leone, influencing Zero Tolerance.”
The manual was designed to enable and support the work of field facilitators in delivering the training to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) work groups.
The manuel provides a comprehensive, standardized content and skills needed to promote the fight to end the practice of female genital mutilations (FGM) in Sierra Leone.
The TOT aimed to equip participants with the broader understanding of the socio-cultural context of the practice, knowledge and awareness, skills, and resources necessary to help trainers and advocates in the campaign to end FGM.
It is hoped to provide them with relevant skills in an enabling environment for a new world where Sierra Leonean women and girls are living free from the abuse and violence of FGM whilst enabling them to live in a safety, dignified and with freedom.
The TOT will also serve as a platform for capacity building, thus fostering collaboration and the empowerment of participants to lead community-based initiatives and awareness campaign.
This manual was developed within the framework of the project “Strengthening the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) for the coordination of Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting in Sierra Leone Influencing Zero Tolerance.”
The manual which has been used by FAHP is a comprehensive tool that field facilitators across the wider stakeholders (Government and Non-Governmental Organizations).
It can be used as a roadmap to rally discourse around Female Genital Mutilation from a gender perspective in order to increase participants’ understanding of FGM/C to be seen as a harmful practice and a form of violence against women and girls.
The manual was well-researched and rich in content, providing facts, root causes and socio-cultural dimensions on the practice and knowledge about the most innovative and successful interventions.
Delivering presentation, the Executive Secretary of FAHP, Madam Aminata Koroma, said “that Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C) is a deeply-rooted cultural practice that has persisted for centuries which has been affecting the lives of millions of women and girls worldwide.”
Ms Koroma went on to say that “FGM/C poses a grave threat to the physical, psychological, and reproductive health of women and girls.”
She continued by saying that the practice “infringes upon their basic human rights and perpetuates gender-based violence.”
Furthermore, she stated that “the need to address FGM/C is not only a moral imperative but also a global health and human rights priority.”
Madam Koroma continued by saying that “the Forum Against Harmful Practices expresses unwavering thanks and appreciation to Irish Aid- Sierra Leone for providing them funds toward the project.”
The Project Manager of FAHP, Mr Ishmael Cole, made his submissions on the topic: Understanding of Gender Perspectives in Sierra Leone.
In his introduction, he said the section of his training “brings out how gender and FGM/C are interconnected which highlighted the inter-sectionality of gender-based violence and discrimination.”
According Mr Cole the section of his presentation defines gender, sex, gender socialization, gender stereotype, and the dismantling of gender stereotypes.
He also spoke on the traditional practices that further demonstrates the notion that FGM/C as a tradition is very harmful.
He also said FGM as a harmful tradition which further highlights the power dynamics, its violent nature and the lack of consideration around victims’ concent, survivors by the perpetrators.
Lawyer Rachael Samba then delivered a presentation on the Legal Framework and FGM.
She went on to explore the legal framework that underpins the campaign against FGM/C in Sierra Leone including international and regional conventions on the rights of women and girls and the relevant national laws.
