By Nafisatu Olayinka Deen
Freetown, 8th December 2025– As Sierra Leone commemorating the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the European Union Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Jacek Jankowski, has praised the government for strides made in protecting women and girls but expressed disappointment over the recently enacted Child Rights Act of 2025, which failed to ban and criminalize Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Ambassador Jankowski acknowledged progress in legislation and protection frameworks but stressed that FGM remains a glaring omission.
“The government has made important improvements in protecting women and girls,” he said. “But the Child Rights Act of 2025 is a missed opportunity. It should have banned and criminalized FGM once and for all.”
FGM, locally referred to as Bondo, remains a deeply rooted cultural practice in Sierra Leone despite being described by the ECOWAS Court of Justice as “one of the worst forms of violence against women” and, when intentionally inflicted, meeting the threshold for torture.
Survivors continue to share harrowing accounts of their experiences. In an interview with Truth Media, Isatu Sesay, now a mother of two, recalled being cut at the age of seven.
“I was only seven years old when I was cut twice because the soweis said my clitoris grew again,” she said. “I ran away from home out of fear, but I was captured and taken to the Bondo bush. It was horrific, and I still get flashes of that day. I had complications during childbirth because of scarring; it was horrible.”
Fatmata Koker, initiated as an adult, described her experience as betrayal.
“I was deceived by my mother, who invited me to Kailahun for the holidays. Over 10 women entered the room and carried me to the Bondo bush. I was cut without consent. The pain was unbearable, and I felt betrayed because I was denied the right to choose,” she said.
At the Young Women Conference and Festival 2025, themed “Voices of Rebirth: Young Women Rising Beyond the Cut”, survivors spoke of trauma and resilience. Jalahan Jakema, who was cut at 12, said tradition was weaponized against her.
“I was taken to the Bondo bush forcefully because my family had issues with soweis. I became the pawn for revenge. I suffered injustice and humiliation. My voice drowned,” she recalled.
Nyamakoro Marrah shared a similar story of deception.
“My mother tricked me into going for a walk. She vanished, and 12 women surrounded me. I fought back, but my strength did not make a difference. I was traumatized, and it took years to heal mentally,” she said.
Survivors and advocates insist that culture must evolve to protect rather than harm.
“The Bondo is not a bad tradition if it does not involve cutting. We want a bloodless Bondo where girls can dance to the drums without fear,” said Isatu Sesay.
Fatmata Koker, now an outspoken advocate, added:
“FGM is a form of violence. I want it named in the Act and criminalized. I do not want women and girls to go through what I went through.”
Jalahan Jakema echoed the call:
“A culture that hurts should not be preserved. All forms of violence against women and girls, including cutting, must end.”
Ambassador Jankowski urged Sierra Leone’s government to revisit the Child Rights Act and close the gap.
