6 Female Genital Mutilation
90. Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of
female genital mutilation (FGM) in the world with 89.6% of women
aged 15-49 affected.[132]
The appalling nature of this procedure and its consequences were
described in our recent Report on Violence Against Women and
Girls.[133] Given
DFID's large programme in Sierra Leone, and given the Department's
new focus on combatting FGM, we were shocked to find out that
DFID had no programmes to address FGM in Sierra Leone.[134]
The recently launched DFID funded UN Joint programme on FGM, Towards
Ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Africa and Beyond,
does not cover Sierra Leone. It is a matter of great concern
that the Minister responsible for both Sierra Leone and ending
FGM was not aware of this, believing that Sierra Leone was part
of the programme:
It [FGM] is a priority. It is a personal priority,
not just a departmental priority. We have launched a £35
million programme that will work in 17 countries and a global
awareness programme that will work in 10 countries. I think Sierra
Leone is one of them, but I am not 100% sure[135]
91. According to the UN Joint programme business
case, DFID did not include Sierra Leone in the UN project because
of "low political commitment" and because the issue
was "highly sensitive".[136]
The Acting Head of DFID Sierra Leone and Liberia told us
that there was a "lack of leadership" from within Sierra
Leone and it was important that DFID was "falling in behind
African leaders so that it is an African-led movement".[137]
A number of African countries have made real progress in tackling
FGM, including Burkina Faso, where policy changes and law enforcement
have contributed to a 27% reduction in prevalence.[138]
DFID said other reasons for not approaching FGM in Sierra Leone
included the "a deeply rooted cultural dimension" in
the country which meant it was "a complex issue which will
take time to change".[139]
The Minister said "we cannot turn into imperialist finger-wagging
Brits".[140]
Box 7
| Secret Societies in Sierra Leone
Secret societies are ancient cultural institutions in Sierra Leone and their primary purpose is to regulate sexual identity and social conduct. The women's societies are known as Sande in the south of the country and Bondo in the north and in Freetown.
Secret societies induct members by initiation, and both those who have been initiated and those who have not must observe a range of rules to ensure co-operations from spirit powers. The basic laws are that those who have been initiated cannot speak about their society to non-members and that those not in the society must not witness society rituals.
FGM is practised as a central element of initiation into the female secret societies and a rite of passage into adulthood. Groups of girls of approximately the same age are initiated together to form a bond and this sisterhood lasts throughout their lives. The girls take an oath that they will not reveal anything that happened during the rite. It is believed that once initiated into the society, the girl has passed into womanhood. She now has adult status and can participate in society as a woman. Underreporting of complications from FGM occurs due to this secrecy and fear of the other members.
Women who run and control the societies are also the traditional cutters. They are often much older women who are revered and respected as women with mystical powers. The cutters are purportedly able to punish anyone who reveals the secrets of the society with curses and serious, incurable conditions. This fear is used to maintain secrecy and keep members together. Most people live in fear of 'cutters' .They fear that they may upset them and will be 'possessed by evil spirits' if they even use the term FGM.
Membership of the secret society is not by choice. All females are expected to be part of the women's secret society and are therefore forced to undergo FGM. Those females who resist FGM face discrimination, stigma and threats from society. Non-members of the secret societies are considered to be children, and not accepted as adults by society. They are generally barred from taking up leadership positions in Sierra Leone society. Children who come of age and have not gone through the puberty rite are liable to be forcibly seized to undergo the procedure. Cutters and members will talk about a penalty or threat if anyone recounts what takes place. The cutters can also forcibly seize those they consider unauthorised to speak about FGM and mutilate them. The latter include women from non FGM practising communities. Female members of the extended family can also seize young females in the family who resist FGM and have them forcibly mutilated. Most men say they cannot speak about FGM for fear of being cursed by the 'cutters'.
The secret societies are supported by members of the political and influential elite who are also members of the societies or have relatives who are.
|
SIERRA LEONE: THE INFLUENCE OF THE SECRET SOCIETIES,
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION Report by
Dr Richard Fanthorpe commissioned by United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, August 2007 and submission of Alimatu Dimonekene
92. Street Child told us that the fear of FGM and
initiation into secret societies was one of the reasons children
chose to live on the streets rather than return to their family
or community.[141]
93. Alimatu Dimonekene, a survivor of FGM in Sierra
Leone and campaigner against it in the UK, told us that not only
was there no political leadership in ending the practice but that
politicians in Sierra Leone were complicit in it:
It is a well-known fact that some politicians
sponsor state cutting of girls as a form of gaining the trust
of a community and in turn votes during election campaigns. […]
Any politician who criticises the practice during the election
campaigns or thereafter is unlikely to win the election. Politicians
often lobby cutters for votes or get their societies to vote and
will pay bribes. Soweis [Cutters] often accompany politicians
at State opening of Parliament to solidify the politician's power.
It is not uncommon to hear aspiring politicians and the influential
elite fiercely defending FGM.[142]
We heard a similar story on our visit where a survivor
who had spoken out about the practice told us she had recently
been threatened by a government Minister. Alimatu pointed out
the UK-hosted Girl Summit co-organised by DFID in July
2014 had included a presentation by the Sierra Leone Government
delegation on its national strategy to address child marriage,
but had failed to mention FGM, despite its link to early marriage
in Sierra Leone.[143]
94. Alimatu believed the UK had an important role
to play in addressing FGM in Sierra Leone:
By refusing to tackle or even discuss FGM the
Sierra Leonean authorities have taken the view that UK is in agreement
with the practice. The Sierra Leone Authorities also see the UK
as a soft touch and that the UK would always accept any version
of affairs or reasons given why the practice is still going.[144]
GOAL said:
DFID have a priority access to politicians in
Sierra Leone, and should use this to lobby for action on high
levels. FGM is a highly sensitive issue and difficult for implementing
partners to tackle without support from the highest levels in
Government and DFID would be better placed to elicit commitment
at this level. [145]
IRC also thought DFID should use its influence as
the largest donor in Sierra Leone.[146]
Alimatu made clear recommendations for DFID:
· a
comprehensive national strategy and action plan to reduce FGM
which should be government-led but with specific technical input
from UN agencies,[147]
DFID and NGOs;
· development
assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone should be conditional
on clear commitments from the Sierra Leone Government to tackle
FGM; and
· specific sanctions
(e.g. travel ban to the UK and freezing of accounts) should be
implemented against Sierra Leone politicians and the influential
elite who promote FGM and/or sponsor the cutting of girls. The
UK should use its influence with other countries in the European
Union and advocate similar sanctions against those promoting FGM.[148]
95. Professor Paul Richards argued that eliminating
FGM
will depend on older community members, beset
by rapid market-driven change, being convinced that there is no
threat to the moral order by abandoning FGM and looking at other
symbolic and ritual devices capable of conveying key messages
about gender-based social solidarity[149]
He recommended that this be done through evidence
gathering, preferably carried out by women social scientists who
are also members of the Sande and whose opinions will be respected
by the Sande elders.
96. A survivor we met in Sierra Leone highlighted
the rationale for the practice. Women are worried that their daughters
will be unable to marry if they have not been mutilated. She believed
that education was the most important factor, not just of women
and girls but also of men. Information provision was vital so
that girls were empowered to say no, and to dispel myths (for
example that intercourse with women who have not experienced FGM
leads to impotence or infant mortality). She argued that FGM needed
to be on the curriculum in schools so that boys and girls could
speak openly about it. She said men, Chiefs, Priests and Imams
should be shown a documentary about the operation so they understood
what happened. She also said that practitioners needed to be provided
with other livelihoods as they made a lot of money from FGM. Another
suggestion was that the relationship between FGM and obstetric
fistulas should be researched. Tanya Barron of PLAN told us:
It is a very difficult subject, and changing
social norms is difficult, but we are not going to be put off
by the notion of not stepping on people's cultural norms, because,
as Naana from FORWARD[150]
said so wonderfully, culture is manmade and it needs to be changed.[151]
97. We are extremely disappointed that DFID has
not sought to address Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra
Leone. We understand Sierra Leone is a challenging context in
which to tackle FGM, but this is no reason not to try. Sierra
Leone is one of DFID's largest bilateral programmes, and the country
has one of the highest prevalence of FGM in the world. We recommend
that DFID works with the survivors of FGM in Sierra Leone to establish
a way to address the practice. In its response to this Report,
DFID should state how it intends to combat FGM in Sierra Leone.
132 DFID (SLL19) Back
133
International Development Committee,Second Report of Session 2013-14,
Violence Against Women and Girls, HC 107 Back
134
International Rescue Committee (SLL12), para 10 Back
135
Q145 Back
136
DFID (SLL19) Back
137
Q148 Back
138
International Development Committee,Second Report of Session 2013-14,
Violence Against Women and Girls, HC 107 Back
139
DFID (SLL05), para 47 Back
140
Q146 Back
141
Street Child (SLL24) Back
142
Alimatu Dimonekene (SLL27) Back
143
Alimatu Dimonekene (SLL27) Back
144
Alimatu Dimonekene (SLL27) Back
145
GOAL (SLL18) Back
146
International Rescue Committee (SLL12) Back
147
UNFPA, UNICEF, UN WOMEN Back
148
Alimatu Dimonekene (SLL27) Back
149
Professor Paul Richards (SLL09) Back
150
The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development -
FORWARD - is an African Diaspora women's campaign and support
charity which was established in 1983 in the UK, in response to
the emerging problems caused by female genital mutilation being
seen by health professionals. Since this time FORWARD has been
working to eliminate the practice and provide support to women
affected by FGM. Naana Otoo-Oyortey, MBE is the Executive Director Back
151
Q57 Back
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