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The Amazonian Initiative Movement-Sierra Leone (AIM-SL) has wrapped up a series of consultations and training sessions in Kenema District aimed at combating female genital mutilation (FGM) and promoting gender equality.
The initiative featured a one-day workshop for school board members, school management committee (SMC) members, and school heads, along with a separate training for 100 students and 10 teachers from various institutions. The program is part of the broader project titled “Empowering Teenage Girls and Communities to Stand Up Against FGM in Sierra Leone”, under the theme “End Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Madam Rugiatu Turay, Director of AIM-SL and Chairperson of the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP), emphasized the urgent need to end FGM. In her address, she highlighted the severe physical, psychological, and economic impacts of the practice on women and girls.
“FGM has devastating consequences that last a lifetime. It undermines the physical, emotional, and economic well-being of survivors,” Turay said. She urged parents and communities to abandon the practice, stressing the importance of open conversations about its harmful effects.
“If women share their experiences with their husbands, we can collectively work to protect our girls from this harmful tradition,” she added.
The training sessions aimed to establish school-based “clubs of influence” to raise awareness and foster community advocacy against FGM. Participants, including board members, teachers, and students, expressed gratitude for the program and pledged their support to the anti-FGM movement.
“This training has demonstrated why it is critical to abandon harmful practices like FGM,” one participant stated. Many attendees called for additional training sessions to broaden the campaign’s reach within the district.
