Liberia Internal Affairs Minister Undermines International Human Rights FGM Abandonment; As FGM Ceremony for Several Girls Uncovered in Nimba County.
Liberia, West Africa, September 10, 2012: The Action
Against Female Genital Mutilation in Liberia (AFEGM/LIBERIA) urges the Liberian
government to desist from statements which undermine or tend to misdirect
efforts by the United Nations to end FGM in Liberia.
Published in the Wednesday, August 29, 2012 edition of the widely read and viewed Front Page Africa newspaper, AFEGM/LIBERIA disagrees with Liberia’s Internal Affairs Minister Blamo Nelson that the ‘ government of Liberia cannot get rid of female genital mutilation/circumcision in Liberia on cultural grounds’, even though he acknowledged some aspects are harmful. In contrast, the female advocacy group believes Liberia is able but unwilling to end the practice of female circumcision though the country is a State Party to international laws seeking an end to FGM.
The FGM advocacy group concedes while it is true it supports the culture and tradition of Liberia, all and every aspect of female circumcision amounts to gross human rights violation of conscription, torture, and kidnapping of girls and women in Liberia and the Minister’s pronouncement is purposed to undermine the United Nations WHO’s 2008 FGM enforcement mandate . The Group, embarrassed by the Liberian government inadequate support to end FGM in the country, believes Minister Nelson statement represents the official comments from government which run parallel to international conventions and protocols signed by the Liberian government.
AFEGM/LIBERIA reminds President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a 2011 Noble Peace Prize laureate, of her commitment to abide by and act in accordance with international instruments like the African Chapter ‘on the protection against child abuse and torture’, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Women, and the African Union ‘Maputo Protocol’ adopted on 11 July 2003 which obligates African countries to put an end to FGM in Africa. Accordingly, the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing set ‘The Platform for Action on FGM’. The Group maintains that FGM as a harmful practice does not only have health consequences but it is a form of discrimination against women as explained by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Group says it will broker a conversation with European Union Head of Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Attilio Pacifici and UNICEF Liberia Resident Representative, Isabel Crowley for these missions to prevail on government to legislate against such harmful practice.
“What is disappointing is the inability of Liberia to develop a political, legal and social environment contributing to changing attitude and behaviors on FGM favorable to abandoning the harmful practice’, Executive Director B. Clarence Farley observes.
Meanwhile, the Action Against Female Genital Mutilation in Liberia (AFEGM/LIBERIA) has uncovered an FGM graduation ceremony scheduled for around September 25-30, 2012 in Kpayen Town, Nimba County involving several women and children. The advocacy group is calling on the Liberian government through the Ministry of Internal Affairs to put a halt to the planned ceremony and shut down the Sande grove and all groves in Liberia as a demonstration of a political will by government to end the practice. Graduates from the ceremony are sometimes negotiated for traditional marriage which contravenes the pre-thought ability of children to make decision. Kpayen Town is the first town from Bong County on the outskirt of Ganta City, Nimba County.
The group calls on the Liberian media to partner with it in the awareness for the abandonment of female genital mutilation in Liberia and it requests Amnesty International and international journalist institutions to protect journalists and advocates against the practice, so as to deface the culture of silence surrounding FGM in Liberia, as there is not much or no support from government and traditional chiefs to end FGM or Female Genital Circumcision (FGC). An end to female genital mutilation in Liberia stands as a taboo for public discussion. Front Page Africa Mae Azango, and Montserrado County Superintendent Grace Kpan among others have all received resentments and threats from traditional chiefs and officials of government, the statement concludes.
Signed:
B. Clarence Farley
Executive Director
AFEGM/LIBERIA
Atty. James Sessay
Legal Affairs Coordinator
Contact: [email protected]
Published in the Wednesday, August 29, 2012 edition of the widely read and viewed Front Page Africa newspaper, AFEGM/LIBERIA disagrees with Liberia’s Internal Affairs Minister Blamo Nelson that the ‘ government of Liberia cannot get rid of female genital mutilation/circumcision in Liberia on cultural grounds’, even though he acknowledged some aspects are harmful. In contrast, the female advocacy group believes Liberia is able but unwilling to end the practice of female circumcision though the country is a State Party to international laws seeking an end to FGM.
The FGM advocacy group concedes while it is true it supports the culture and tradition of Liberia, all and every aspect of female circumcision amounts to gross human rights violation of conscription, torture, and kidnapping of girls and women in Liberia and the Minister’s pronouncement is purposed to undermine the United Nations WHO’s 2008 FGM enforcement mandate . The Group, embarrassed by the Liberian government inadequate support to end FGM in the country, believes Minister Nelson statement represents the official comments from government which run parallel to international conventions and protocols signed by the Liberian government.
AFEGM/LIBERIA reminds President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a 2011 Noble Peace Prize laureate, of her commitment to abide by and act in accordance with international instruments like the African Chapter ‘on the protection against child abuse and torture’, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Women, and the African Union ‘Maputo Protocol’ adopted on 11 July 2003 which obligates African countries to put an end to FGM in Africa. Accordingly, the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing set ‘The Platform for Action on FGM’. The Group maintains that FGM as a harmful practice does not only have health consequences but it is a form of discrimination against women as explained by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Group says it will broker a conversation with European Union Head of Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Attilio Pacifici and UNICEF Liberia Resident Representative, Isabel Crowley for these missions to prevail on government to legislate against such harmful practice.
“What is disappointing is the inability of Liberia to develop a political, legal and social environment contributing to changing attitude and behaviors on FGM favorable to abandoning the harmful practice’, Executive Director B. Clarence Farley observes.
Meanwhile, the Action Against Female Genital Mutilation in Liberia (AFEGM/LIBERIA) has uncovered an FGM graduation ceremony scheduled for around September 25-30, 2012 in Kpayen Town, Nimba County involving several women and children. The advocacy group is calling on the Liberian government through the Ministry of Internal Affairs to put a halt to the planned ceremony and shut down the Sande grove and all groves in Liberia as a demonstration of a political will by government to end the practice. Graduates from the ceremony are sometimes negotiated for traditional marriage which contravenes the pre-thought ability of children to make decision. Kpayen Town is the first town from Bong County on the outskirt of Ganta City, Nimba County.
The group calls on the Liberian media to partner with it in the awareness for the abandonment of female genital mutilation in Liberia and it requests Amnesty International and international journalist institutions to protect journalists and advocates against the practice, so as to deface the culture of silence surrounding FGM in Liberia, as there is not much or no support from government and traditional chiefs to end FGM or Female Genital Circumcision (FGC). An end to female genital mutilation in Liberia stands as a taboo for public discussion. Front Page Africa Mae Azango, and Montserrado County Superintendent Grace Kpan among others have all received resentments and threats from traditional chiefs and officials of government, the statement concludes.
Signed:
B. Clarence Farley
Executive Director
AFEGM/LIBERIA
Atty. James Sessay
Legal Affairs Coordinator
Contact: [email protected]