-As Traditional Leaders Perform FGM
By: R. Joyclyn Wea
Roosevelt Willie, presiding Judge Criminal Court “A” has sent a mandate to the traditional society to appear before it and surrender one of its members or face the full weight of the law.
It can be recalled that a Writ of Habeas Corpus was prayed for by the Organization of Women and Children and Community Healthcare Initiative (CHI) against Hannah Tarr, head of the Traditional Sande Society in Kpaans Town, and all those under her command by and through the ministry of internal affairs following a forceful initiation of Rachel Dahn and three others held in their custody.
Based upon this, a communication dated April 4, 2024, was sent to the defendants to appear with the petitioners (survivors) to show cause why the (petitioner) was forcefully taken away, detained, to be initiated in abrogation of the constitution and other statutes governing the Republic of Liberia.
This comes after a resolution by the National Traditional Council of Chiefs and Elders’s commitment to ban bus schools and the forceful initiation of people, but notwithstanding the practice is continuing in most of rural Liberia especially where the practice has been banned.
Upon their failure to surrender the victims, the court threatened a judgment by default would be rendered against them and the relief sought by the petitioner granted.
It’s rumored that the girls were turnover by the zoe after the writ was served, but sadly the girls have already been initiated according to the report.
In March of this year, the traditional councils of chiefs and elders including partners gathered in Lofa where the turning over of traditional materials were turned over to partners by Zoes as signed of their commitment to uphold the ban of the practice of FGM and forceful initiation.
Traditional leaders have gotten a lot of resources from UN women and other local and international partners to abolish this harmful traditional practice against women and young girls through forceful initiation, but on the flip side, these zoes are still heavily engaged with the practice.
The action on the part of the zoes signified the need for continuous monitoring particularly in areas where FGM is highly practice.
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