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ADNews-Monrovia, Liberia: The Women Traditional Leader of Montserrado County, Madam Massa Kandakai, has declared that consistent financial support for female traditional leaders, known as Zoes, is crucial to ending the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and maintaining the moratorium on Sande Bush activities.
Speaking during the screening of a documentary by African Goodwill Ambassador Jaha Dukureh at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, Kandakai emphasized the economic reliance of Zoes on Sande schools. She noted that the schools are not only cultural institutions but also serve as vital sources of income for many traditional women leaders.
“The female Zoes depend on the resources they receive from these practices to support their families,” she said. “It is not realistic to expect them to abandon FGM without proper negotiation and sustainable alternatives.”
Madam Kandakai urged the Liberian government and its international partners to increase funding as a means to fully transition away from FGM practices.
“In Montserrado alone, I have over 200 certified Zoes, with approximately 2,000 across the country,” she added. “How do they expect us to survive when the government itself has failed to fulfill its promises?”
Meanwhile, Jaha Dukureh, the African Union Goodwill Ambassador for the elimination of harmful traditional practices and a survivor of FGM herself, advocated for “initiation without mutilation.” She stressed that while cultural practices have valuable elements that empower women, the act of mutilation is both harmful and outdated.
“Our culture is rich. It teaches girls how to become responsible women and manage their households effectively,” Dukureh said. “But the act of female genital mutilation poses serious health risks and contributes to the stigmatization of African women worldwide.”
She called for a reformed approach to traditional practices—one that preserves cultural identity while protecting the health and dignity of girls and women.
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