Campaigners in Liberia are pressing the government and national legislature to urgently pass the Women and Girls Protection Act of 2025, a landmark bill aimed at outlawing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices that continue to affect thousands of women and girls across the country.
At a petitioning ceremony in Monrovia, activists described FGM as a grave human-rights violation and a direct threat to the health, safety, and dignity of Liberian women and girls. They said the proposed law represents a critical step toward ending practices that have undermined the well-being of young women for generations.
The push comes just months after President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. declared a zero-tolerance policy on gender-based violence during his September 2025 address to the United Nations General Assembly. In that speech, Boakai announced plans to move from a temporary moratorium to a permanent national ban on FGM across all 15 counties.
In October, the President submitted the Women and Girls Protection Act to the House of Representatives, a move hailed by rights advocates as historic and a bold demonstration of Liberia’s commitment to international human-rights treaties and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.
“Ending FGM is a moral imperative,” the group said in statement read by Miatta Dawolo, calling on parents, guardians, traditional authorities, civil society, development partners, and young people to unite in protecting women and girls from harm.
If enacted, the legislation would guarantee that every Liberian woman and girl lives free from violence, with access to justice, protection, and dignity. Campaigners say its passage would mark a transformative milestone in Liberia’s efforts to eradicate harmful traditional practices.
Advocates are also urging the government to invest in robust community engagement initiatives, including alternative rites of passage, livelihood programs for traditional leaders to discourage FGM, and survivor-centered services such as psychosocial support and legal aid.
