By Joseph Tumbey 

Afric Daily Newspaper- Montserrado  County: Montserrado traditional  leaders have  finally  declared  Female  Genital  Mutilation FGM banned  in the County ,  warn violators  with cultural and   traditional  punishment, and   introduces the  “kpowah sande Society” that involves   initiation without mutilation  in order  to continue  their cultural  education  among  their inheritance. 

Their closure  followed by  the launch of  the Alternative  Eco Livelihood program  to transform  the traditional  activities into  training  the traditional  female  leaders  in  tie dying,   village  savings, tailoring  with other skills  to  support  them for living. 

Speaking  at the International  Day of Zero Tolerance  against  Female  Genital Mutilation in  Songkay Town Monsterrado County, the Montserrado  County Female  zoe Leader, Madam  Massa Kandakai  acknowledged  the ban of the harmful  traditional  practices  and the closure of sande bushes in the County, but requested  the UN, Government and their Partners  to give them what the requested  for.

“I Massa kandakai  say it must be closed and it’s close  for good good, I  finished  agree  yaa, but what you get for us, yor do it  for us”,   the Monsterrado  Chief  Female  Zoe asserted. 

Reading  the proclamation  on behalf of UN, the  UN Women Country representatives , Ms. Comfort  Lamptey    said, FGM  is one of the most vicious manifestations of the patriarchy that permeates the  world  and also serves as an abhorrent violation of fundamental human rights that causes lifelong damage to the physical and mental health of women and girls.

According  to her, the act is  rooted in the same gender inequalities and complex social norms that limit women’s participation and leadership and restrict their access to education and  employment across  the globe. 

“On the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, let’s commit to social change and strong partnerships to put to an end female genital mutilation once and for all”,  UN Women Country  representative Ms. Lamptey asserted. 

She however called  everyone  to collaborate  as  powerful allies in challenging and ending the scourge, as their team for  this year’s  call on men and boys everywhere to join them in speaking out and stepping forward to end female genital mutilation, for the benefit of all. 

Meanwhile,  Reading the   statement of progress in  FGM activities,  the  traditional  Queen of Liberia ,  Juli Endee    said  they have  agreed to  close  and ban the  FGM activities  and  will gradually  continue in other Counties  if  the neccessary  measures  are put in place.

“We have 11 Counties that are practicing   the FGM, for Montserrado we have done our traditional rituals practices  for 19 days and nights  to speak  with  our  ancestors  which allowed us  to come to such decisions”, Juli Endee  assured  the public.

Juli noted that Sande school is one of the oldest  traditional  institutions  across  the World  but the  lack of education  have make many people  to explain  things  contrary.

“We have three kinds of Sande Societies,   the  Mua sande is practice by Muslim, Zoebar sande  is practice  by the mask and  Kpowah sande  is a practice involves initiation without mutilation”, she stated.

According  to her, they are banning  the Mua, and  Zoebar but will continue  the practice of Kpowah to teach  their  inheritance  their culture  as it’s  meant to educate  patriotism,  skills, royalty  among  others so as they can’t  lose the culture. 

Meanwhile, the   Chairman of the National Council of Chief and Elders in Liberia NACCEL , Chief Zanza Kawah  noted that  they  will collaborate with every traditional leader to  abolish  FGM in the remaining  ten Couties if  the respect  they due as traditional leaders  is given  to them. 

He said,  “No one has the authority  to bring  FGM back, not even   those who will come to you  telling  you to  vote for them  so they can  bring it back”.

Chief Zanza Kawah  maintains  that they are doing so  because they don’t  want Liberia to be left  behind  but for the whole World to help the Country.