Liberia: Traditional Women Threaten to Resume FGM Practices

Nimba County — Hundreds of traditional women in Nimba County are threatening to return to the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which has been banned in Liberia by government and development partners.

The women’s threat followed the replacement of Culture Ambassador Juli Endee, whom the women describe as their daughter.

Madam Jui Endee, a national cultural icon, has been replaced by famous artist and performer Kekula Kamara. Kamara is known for his role in the famous television drama Malawala-Balawala in the 1980s.

But the women of Nimba, who gathered in huge numbers recently in the county, called on President Joseph Boakai to reinstate their daughter, or else, they will erect roadblocks and return to FGM practices across all 19 administrative districts in the second most populated county of Liberia.

They said Amb. Juli Endee, who privately runs the Liberia Crusaders for Peace, is their only hope, so the President should reinstate her.

According to them, despite electing the Unity Party to power in 2023, most of the ministerial positions are being given to citizens from President Boakai’s native Lofa County, while only a few Nimbaians have benefited from jobs in the new administration.

The women also threatened to take the female masked dancer or country devil to the Executive Mansion on Thursday morning in protest.

Addressing reporters, Oretha Bartuah and Edith Suah, heads of the aggrieved women group, said their gathering will attract the attention of both the government and the international community.

They maintain that the female devil (female mask dancer) will only return to the bush by re-instating Ambassador Juli Endee.

The international community, including UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund, and other UN organizations last year engaged traditional women from across the country to stop FGM practices. Still, it seems that if the government does not respond to their request, they will return to the bush school where the clitoris of girls and young women are cut to reduce sexual pleasure and avoid promiscuity in marriage.

But campaigners against the practice, including the UN, describe FGM as harmful and deadly, as hundreds, if not thousands, have become victims.

The women threaten to go to school campuses and marketplaces to recruit girls for the bush school.

Since their statement, there has been no response from the Nimba administration.

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