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The National Sowie Council of Sierra Leone has refuted claims made in a recent Guardian article alleging the deaths of three girls during Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) rituals.
The council, which represents traditional women’s societies that practice Bondo, a female initiation ceremony that includes Female Circumcision, accused the newspaper and certain anti-FGM campaigners of fabricating the story to garner funding and reignite their campaign against the practice.
The council’s statement specifically names Nenneh Turay of Amazonian Initiative and Hon. Chernor Bah, the current Minister of Information, as being involved in a “pattern of misinformation, kidnapping hoaxes, and fabrications.” They claim these individuals have collaborated with the Guardian since 2016 to invent stories about FGM-related deaths and kidnappings.
The council maintains its opposition to any national policy or legislation that criminalizes Bondo, citing the democratic process and the human rights of Bondo women to self-determination and bodily autonomy. They welcome a police investigation into the alleged deaths and emphasize their opposition to forceful initiations.
Furthermore, the council announced their plans to publish a national policy proposal for the “preservation and modernization” of Bondo traditions, including formal training for practitioners. They also intend to publish their stance on various issues related to children’s rights, the ongoing legal case against the practice, and the inclusion of sowies (Bondo practitioners) in national politics.
The council’s statement concludes by criticizing the international community’s focus on FGM in Africa, while overlooking similar practices elsewhere, such as female genital cosmetic surgeries and gender reassignment surgeries. They urge for a more nuanced and global approach to the issue of genital alterations, considering factors like sex, gender, culture, and individual autonomy.
