Liberia today imposed a one-year ban on Female Genital Mutilation, a highly contentious issue in the West African country, but campaigners said it may not be enforceable.
The ban came into force after former leader Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf signed an executive order before stepping down.The move received little publicity, overshadowed by Monday’s inauguration of Johnson-Sirleaf’s successor, former soccer star George Weah.
The ban makes it an offence to perform FGM on anyone under 18 but it can still be carried out on adults with their consent.
Campaigners said FGM should be banned outright as even women who gave consent often did so under pressure.
According to an official statement, Johnson-Sirleaf said on Jan. 19 that its
omission undermined the law. Executive orders expire after a year Campaigners
have received death threats for speaking out about the practice which remains
shrouded in taboo and is often performed during initiation ceremonies in bush
schools with girls sworn to secrecy on their lives.
FGM is practised in nearly 30 African countries, according to UN data, even though
almost all have outlawed it. Mackins Pajibo of Liberian group Women Solidarity
Incorporated said the ban was good news, but probably not enforceable.
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