A ban on FGM (female genital mutilation) has been in place in Sierra Leone because of the Ebola epidemic and the necessity to prevent people meeting for events which might exacerbate the risk of infection.

This is a unique opportunity for the authorities in Sierra Leone to embed eradication of FGM and to keep girls safe.

But the Ebola epidemic has now subsided and in just a month's time (early October) the prohibition of FGM may be lifted - thereby exposing a whole 'backlog' of so-far protected and intact girls to the likelihood that they will be forced to undergo this sometimes lethal and always permanently damaging violence against their persons and their human rights.

We urge Justine Greening, as Secretary of State for DFID, very strongly to impress upon Sierra Leone leaders the necessity to consolidate and enforce the current prohibition of FGM.  

The UK provides substantial aid to Sierra Leone, where FGM is already formally illegal.  The positive impact of UK financial support would be severely reduced if Sierra Leone reverted to tolerance of the immensely costly practice of FGM.

DFID aid to Sierra Leone should from now on be linked to an undertaking that FGM will no longer occur there, and no more girls will be harmed.

                                             ~ ~ ~ 

Thank you for your support,

Hilary Burrage

Author of Eradicating Female Genital Mutilation (Ashgate, 2015)