{"id":3801,"date":"2026-10-21T18:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daybreaknewspapersl.com\/?p=3801"},"modified":"2026-10-21T18:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T18:51:16","slug":"25-bondo-soweis-abandon-fgm-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daybreaknewspapersl.com\/?p=3801","title":{"rendered":"25 \u2018Bondo Soweis\u2019 Abandon FGM Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ragan M. Conteh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a significant development in efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone, 25 traditional Bondo practitioners, commonly known as \u2018Soweis\u2019 in five communities, including Mabanta, Masemara, Magbenteh, Mabap, and Mathinka, have publicly declared their commitment to abandon genital cutting and support alternative initiation practices that preserve cultural traditions without harming women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The declaration, organised by Girl Child Network Sierra Leone (GCN-SL) in Partnership with Purposeful, took place on Thursday, 15 October 2026, at the Mabanta Community Centre in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event marked the organisation\u2019s second public declaration involving Soweis and brought together traditional leaders, government representatives, child protection professionals, community stakeholders and girls participating in the Network\u2019s programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representatives from the Ministry of Gender and Children\u2019s Affairs, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the district council, the Family Support Unit (FSU), religious organisations and local chiefdom authorities were among those attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony concluded with the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) by the 25 practitioners, alongside the symbolic surrender of knives, razors and other instruments traditionally used in FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an organisation working to protect girls from harmful practices, the decision by women who previously performed genital cutting to publicly renounce that role represents an important step towards community-led abandonment of FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female genital mutilation, also referred to as female genital mutilation\/cutting (FGM\/C), involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia, or other injury to female genital organs, for non-medical reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), FGM has no health benefits and can cause immediate and long-term physical and psychological complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include severe pain, excessive bleeding, infections, difficulties with urination, menstrual complications, childbirth-related problems and psychological trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FGM is internationally recognised as a violation of the human rights of women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sierra Leone, the practice has historically been associated with initiation into the Bondo society, an institution through which women traditionally transmit cultural knowledge, social values and community responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, advocates increasingly distinguish between the cultural and educational aspects of Bondo and the physical act of genital cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey, approximately 83 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 had undergone FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prevalence figure demonstrates the scale of the challenge facing organisations working to prevent the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soweis occupy influential positions within the Bondo society and have traditionally been responsible for conducting initiation ceremonies, including genital cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their roles can carry cultural authority, community recognition and economic significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, a \u2018Sowei\u2019s\u2019 decision to stop performing FGM can represent a substantial change in both her traditional responsibilities and livelihood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The public declarations in Makeni are particularly significant because they involve practitioners themselves taking part in efforts to change a practice with which they have historically been associated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By signing commitments to abandon cutting, the 25 \u2018Soweis\u2019 indicated their willingness to support an alternative approach to initiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surrender of cutting instruments was also a visible expression of their stated decision to move away from their former roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the declarations represent an important milestone, their long-term significance will depend on continued community engagement, follow-up support and whether the commitments are sustained in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A central focus of the event was the promotion of Bloodless \u2018Bondo\u2019, an approach that seeks to preserve non-harmful aspects of Bondo initiation while eliminating genital cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under this model, traditional education, mentorship, songs, ceremonies, female solidarity and the transmission of cultural knowledge can continue without exposing girls and women to FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach recognises the importance that many communities attach to Bondo while seeking to address the health and human rights concerns associated with cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, engaging Soweis in the process is an important part of promoting alternatives that can be accepted and sustained within communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A former \u2018Sowei\u2019 who had already abandoned cutting shared her experience of participating in a Bondo initiation conducted without FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her testimony provided an example of how traditional initiation activities can take place without genital cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other participants spoke about the risks associated with FGM and the importance of directing resources towards girls\u2019 education, health and development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking during the programme, Hellen Neneh Turay, Safeguarding and Child Protection Officer at Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, highlighted the challenges women continue to face in exercising their rights and participating equally in society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She drew attention to the influence of patriarchal attitudes and the need for sustained efforts to empower women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her contribution placed the campaign against FGM within the wider discussion of women\u2019s rights, safeguarding and protection from harmful practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event also featured traditional songs, testimonies and contributions from community representatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants discussed the importance of protecting girls while recognising the cultural responsibilities of traditional leaders<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Pratt, Finance and Administration representative of Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, outlined the organisation\u2019s continuing efforts to address FGM and promote the rights and dignity of women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted the importance of community engagement and sustained advocacy in encouraging traditional practitioners to abandon cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other speakers, including representatives from the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Gender and Children\u2019s Affairs, religious groups and local traditional authorities, expressed support for initiatives aimed at protecting women and girls from FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussions emphasised that efforts to end genital cutting need not be interpreted as opposition to Bondo culture itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, participants highlighted the need to preserve cultural practices that do not cause harm while ensuring that the fundamental rights of women and girls are respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speakers also acknowledged the contribution of Anita Koroma and Girl Child Network Sierra Leone in organising the declaration and engaging traditional practitioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highlight of the ceremony was the formal declaration by 25 Soweis that they would abandon FGM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their commitments were accompanied by the handing over of cutting instruments and Bondo regalia, followed by the signing of MOUs documenting their stated intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event represented a further stage in Girl Child Network Sierra Leone\u2019s engagement with traditional practitioners and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public declarations can help communicate changes in attitudes towards FGM, particularly when they are made by individuals who hold influence within traditional institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, ensuring that these commitments lead to lasting abandonment requires continued monitoring, community education and support for former practitioners, including consideration of alternative livelihood opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Makeni declaration also highlights the role traditional women leaders can play in preventing FGM when they become participants in the process of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the 25 Soweis who publicly relinquished their cutting instruments, the ceremony marked a declared transition away from performing FGM and towards supporting initiation practices that do not involve genital cutting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Girl Child Network Sierra Leone, the next task is to build on those commitments and continue working with communities to protect girls while preserving the non-harmful cultural traditions they value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ragan M. Conteh In a significant development in efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone, 25 traditional Bondo practitioners, commonly known as \u2018Soweis\u2019 in five communities, including Mabanta, Masemara, Magbenteh, Mabap, and Mathinka, have publicly declared their commitment to abandon genital cutting and support alternative initiation practices that preserve cultural traditions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t