By Nafisatu Olayinka Deen
Freetown, 8th June, 2026 – Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), locally known as Bondo, remains one of Sierra Leone’s most entrenched cultural practices, yet no law explicitly criminalizes it. Activists, lawyers, and the Human Rights Commission argue that this silence leaves women and girls vulnerable to what they describe as a form of violence.
The World Health Organization warns that FGM has no health benefits and can cause severe bleeding, infections, childbirth complications, and even newborn deaths. In 2025, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that Sierra Leone had violated the rights of women and children by failing to outlaw FGM, calling it “one of the worst forms of violence against women.”
Recent allegations by a 30‑year‑old survivor, Bintu Kamara (not her real name), who said she was forcibly initiated into the Bondo Society in May 2026, have reignited debate. Responding, First Lady Fatima Maada Bio stated she does not support forced circumcision or the cutting of underage girls. She emphasized that initiation should only occur with consent at age 18.
However, critics note that Sierra Leone’s Child Rights Act of 2025 does not mention FGM by name. While it prohibits harmful treatment of children, it provides no penalties specific to the practice. A parliamentary press release confirmed this omission, prompting the Human Rights Commission to express “deep disappointment” that underage girls remain unprotected.
Human rights lawyer Eleanor Thompson explained that while no law directly bans FGM, existing criminal statutes, including assault, wounding, kidnapping, and sexual offences, could be applied to prosecute perpetrators.
Global advocate and survivor Alimatu Dimonekene MBE, CEO of A Girl At A Time, has repeatedly sought clarity from successive Attorneys General since 2017. “Despite years of advocacy, public dialogue and international attention, survivors continue to ask a simple question: where is the law that specifically protects women and girls from FGM? The recent comments made by the First Lady, Fatima Bio, suggesting that laws exist to protect children from FGM have generated significant public debate. If such protections exist, then government has a responsibility to clearly identify those laws, explain how they are enforced, and demonstrate how they are protecting girls and women in practice,” she said.
Advocates insist that what is needed now is explicit legislation criminalizing FGM, backed by enforcement, survivor support, and public education. “Girls and women deserve clear legal protection, accountability, and the right to live free from harm,” Dimonekene stressed.
Thompson urged Sierra Leone to implement the ECOWAS Court ruling, noting it was delivered by West African judges applying regional laws. “The ECOWAS Court is not a ‘Western’ court. It is constituted by judges from our own West African countries, where there are similar conversations around FGM’s place in society and culture. Our own West African judges found that Sierra Leone had violated the very laws and treaties that we have voluntarily adopted and ratified to protect girls and women in Sierra Leone. A good place for government to start is by taking genuine steps to enforce that decision,” she said.
As the debate intensifies, survivors and campaigners say the gap between public assurances and actual legal protections remains glaring and until it is closed, Sierra Leone’s women and girls will continue to face one of the most dangerous cultural practices in the region.
