Sierra Leone prohibits bloody FGM practice at initiation ceremonies
Waris Dirie is pleased about FGM ban.
What a great success for Waris Dirie and the Desert Flower Foundation team! Sierra Leone has banned female genital mutilation nationwide as part of the widespread initiation ceremonies of secret societies. "A message that makes me very happy," says Waris Dirie. She herself had been in the West African state in December and over New Year to mobilize politicians and media for the fight against FGM. With success!
The FGM ban was announced by Anthony Brewah, Sierra Leone's Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, in a letter (see left) to all regional ministers. "The government has banned the initiation nationwide with immediate effect," the letter says.
It is not only Sierra Leone that is finally cracking down on the terrible FGM practice. In Uganda, 19 people were arrested in a nightly raid after carrying out the bloody ritual illegally. And in Kenya, a large-scale manhunt continues for the parents of a 14-year-old girl who died as a result of FGM.
