A CDC Rep. Candidate Promises Legislation In Their Interest If Elected
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
If he wins the district three seat in Kolba city in Kolahun District, Lofa County, a representative candidate running on the ticket of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has pledged to sponsor a bill on behalf of Liberia’s FGM survivors.
Despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights agreements, such as the Maputo Protocol, that denounce the practice as a violation of human rights, Liberia continues to be one of the three West African nations without a statute making FGM illegal.
World Bank data shows 31.8% of women and girls in Liberia are affected by this menace and many more are still at risk. These women and girls don’t have a lot of options because they are reportedly forced into initiation or mutilated against their consent.
“We believe by now there should be graduates from the Sande and Poro societies that way they will remember the Zoe that initiated them into that institution because many people have downplayed our culture and we think that we are going to reawaken that by such law,” Rep. candidate Momo Siafa Kpoto said.
Mr. Momo Siafa Kpoto
His remark comes just days before the 10th October’s election and in the middle of efforts by the government, traditional leaders, and stakeholders to put an end to the damaging practice.
“When it comes to oversight and lawmaking to make participatory democracy; you’re going to bring the idea to me and I bring my idea, we agreed on one to propagate it at the legislature,” he told a gathering in the area.
The Representative hopeful made a pledge to work with his colleague to pass legislation certificating graduates of both the Sande and Poro societies in Liberia.
Senda and poor societies are notoriously known as secret societies in addition to harmful traditional melted against women and girls.
Chief Zanzan Karwor, the head of the Traditional Council of Liberia, announced a three-year ban on FGM in February 2022. Many media outlets and members of the public interpreted this to suggest that bush schools, where FGM is practiced, should be banned. But the bush schools are still in full swing