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ADNews-Monrovia, Liberia: In Liberia, as Liberia struggles to outlaw the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, several efforts by activists and women advocates have been defeated whenever pieces of legislation seeking to outlaw FGM are defeated in the Liberian legislature.
This time, with another draft bill, which emerged from the office of President Joseph Boakai, known as the Girls and Women Protection Act of 2025, is again seeking to end the practices.
It can be recalled that, in 2019, members of the Legislature removed the FGM Component from the Domestic Violence law, passing the law without abolishing FGM. The debate dragged on. Some lawmakers feared that abolishing FGM would mean losing support from traditional communities during elections, while others argued that FGM remains, but that women and girls who reach the age of 18 go to the Sande Bush at the age of consent. However, lawmakers still trashed it completely from the then Domestic Violence Act.
Since 2019 to date, Liberia has yet to abolish FGM. Recently, the National Coalition Against Harmful Practices (NACAHP) and partners met and held talks with members of the 55th legislature to present detailed findings (report) from a study conducted on FGM across the country.
At that meeting, Liberia’s Deputy Minister for Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Laura Golakah, reiterated to members of the Legislature that setting an age limit of 18 years as consent for a girl to make a decision whether or not to attend the traditional school still puts girls in harm’s way. The disagrees with such an argument. Here is what she said, and I want you to do a short write-up on Minister Laura Golkeh’s points, which she spoke to members of the legislature.
As debates on Capitol Hill progress since President Joseph Boakai presented the draft Girls and Women Protection Act, which seeks to permanently ban Female Genital Cutting or Mutilation (FGM), scores of rights activists and campaigners continue to engage with members of the legislature to ensure its passage.
One such group is the National Coalition Against Harmful Practices (NACAHP).
At a one-day public engagement with mem members of the House of Representatives, NACAHP’s executive director told members of the House of Representatives that now is the time to do this singular favor for Liberian girls and women, by passing the Protection Act, to save girls and women from the age-long practice of women circumcision; globally known as female genital mutilation (FGM)
Liberia’s House of Representatives has pushed the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Bill into the national spotlight following a massive joint-committee public hearing that brought together lawmakers, traditional leaders, women’s groups, and international partners in a tense but hopeful showdown over the future of girls in the country. “This is no longer just a cultural debate; it is a matter of life, dignity, and human rights,” one lawmaker declared.
The hearing came after five-county community consultations with rural women, traditional authorities, and civil society organizations, whose collective message was clear: FGM must stop.
Development partners, including the European Union, UN Women, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, reviewed findings showing strong grassroots support for a law that prioritizes health, safety, and protection. “The voices from the communities are telling us they want change,” a civil society leader said.
Held under the banner “Born Perfect Grand Finale: From Community Dialogue to National Action,” the forum revealed that many citizens now see FGM as harmful and outdated. “Our girls are not born to suffer in silence,” a women’s advocate told the hearing. “They are born perfect and deserve to grow without fear.”
Providing scientific backing to the emotional testimonies, Medica Liberia presented a five-county baseline survey showing a growing rejection of FGM. “The data confirms what women have been saying for years: this practice endangers health and violates basic rights,” a representative of the organization explained.
Delivering the official position of the Joint Legislative Committee, Hon. Moima Briggs-Mensah said the proposed Women and Girls Protection Act is designed to protect lives, not attack culture. “We are not here to shame traditions; we are here to save girls,” she said. “This law must be firm in protecting rights, but respectful in how it engages our communities.”
She stressed that real change requires culturally sensitive messaging, grassroots involvement, and strong support systems such as education, healthcare, and alternative livelihoods. “A law without support will fail, but a law backed by communities will transform the nation,” Briggs-Mensah warned.
Some lawmakers, however, called for the consultations to go beyond five counties. “How can we pass a national law without hearing from all fifteen counties?” one legislator asked, pushing for deeper public education and nationwide dialogue before final passage.
As the debate intensifies, the House has made one thing clear: the future of Liberia’s women and girls is now at the center of legislative action. “History will judge us by whether we stood up for our daughters or looked away,” a lawmaker said, as the country waits for what could be a defining vote
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