Jaha Dukureh, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa advocates for the elimination of FGM in Liberia

On her first visit to Liberia from 19 to 27 November 2022, Jaha Dukureh, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage held several strategic engagement meetings with high-level government officials including the Vice President of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor and Government Ministers. She also met with various stakeholders including UN country team, diplomatic community, traditional leaders, religious leaders, civil society, women’s organizations, youth activists and the media to support the country’s efforts to advocate for the elimination of FGM, a harmful practice against women and girls.

Ms. Dukureh’s visit coincided with the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign which was observed from 25 November to 10 December under the global theme, ‘Unite, Activism to end violence against women and girls” and national theme, ‘With one voice, let us unite to end violence against women, girls and children.’

Meeting with traditional leaders

Ms. Dukureh met with the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL) in Monrovia on Sunday, 20 November 2022 and was warmly welcomed. She was accompanied by UN Women Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey and Senior Advisor in the UN Women Executive Director’s office, Alison Rowe.

Ms. Dukureh highlighted the importance of preserving tradition and urged the traditional leaders to eliminate the harmful practices only but uphold the positive aspects of culture. 

“My message to Liberian women is, we don’t want the cutting but we want you to keep every single aspect of the rest of the tradition. It’s important for us to invest in ways to keep the positive aspects of our culture and let go of the negative aspects,” she said. 

The sentiments were echoed by the traditional Queen and Executive Director of Liberia Crusaders for Peace, Ambassador Juli Endee who noted that it is only the bad practice that should be stopped but once it is stopped, there should be an alternative means of livelihood. 

She also noted that Liberia is on track on awareness and advocacy on FGM. “FGM is one of the issues that people never talked about but have started to talk about. FGM was never discussed in our culture. But now we are discussing FGM,” she said.

The engagement meeting was also attended by the Chairperson of NACCEL, Chief Zanzan Karwo, the acting deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mohammed Masalee, traditional leaders and representatives from civil society.

Meeting with the media
Ms. Dukureh also had an opportunity to meet the media and addressed a press conference in Monrovia. She highlighted the important role of the media in ending harmful practices such as FGM. 

“The media have a crucial role in ending female genital mutilation and ending violence against women and girls. Being able to report on human interest stories, doing investigative journalism allows the average population to get a deeper understanding of what the realities are and what women are facing and what people are going through.”

She highlighted her past experience and successes achieved working with the media.
“Some of the most successful work we have done across the continent, in The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leonne, Kenya and Somalia, has been the work we have done with journalists. We were able to train media personnel and have media academies and also link them with international media to help them get some of the stories out. This press conference is also an opportunity for me to know the media community here in Liberia to see how we can collaborate and make sure that similar work that we have done in other countries can also be replicated here,” says Ms. Dukureh.

Public screenings of Jaha’s Promise
One of the major highlights of Ms. Dukureh’s visit was the screening of the documentary, ‘Jaha’s Promise,’ a film about her life and advocacy efforts on eliminating FGM. Various stakeholders had the opportunity to watch the documentary and also participated in a question-and-answer session that followed. 

“The voices of survivors are important because when you look at FGM and you remember the millennium development goals, they didn't mention anything about FGM. We didn't have any change. We couldn't talk about FGM but when survivors speak, you can't deny their story, you can't deny their pain. I am not coming from a place of an outsider. I am coming with my own experience, talking to my father, talking to my religious leader, talking to my community leaders and trying to understand and trying to come up with solutions. Survivors' voices are essential to this campaign if we want to see any success,” said Ms. Dukureh as she responded to a question on the importance of survivors’ voices. 

Visit to Nimba Heritage Centre

On Wednesday, 23 November 2022, Ms.Dukureh met with local authorities and traditional leaders from Nimba County in north-eastern Liberia at the newly constructed vocational and heritage centre that was constructed by UN Women under the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative. 

The traditional leaders led by Chief Zanzan Karwor and traditional Queen, Ambassador Juli Endee, welcomed Ms. Dukureh and appreciated the efforts of the Spotlight Initiative in providing alternative sources of livelihoods for traditional leaders. Traditional practitioners and other community members also had a chance to watch the documentary, ‘Jaha’s Promise.’

Ms. Dukureh pledged to support the Nimba community and help empower women. She committed to raise funds for Liberia so that the remaining seven Counties that do not have heritage centres can have centres and Liberia can be free from violence against women and girls. 

“I have learnt that we need to empower African women and put money into their hands by supporting different means of livelihood from agriculture to crafts and weavings.
“The same way I support my community in The Gambia is the same way I will now support this community and Liberian women at large. 

“The work you are doing is crucial to the development of Liberia and women’s empowerment because it will enable you to have something that belongs to you and is sustainable. 

“I am not a stranger to the issues I am talking about. I underwent FGM and I was a child bride when I was 15. I am coming to you as your daughter, sister, and someone who understands your pain and struggles. 

“We don’t want to get rid of all traditions or cultures. We are asking communities to hold onto the positive aspects of our culture but get rid of the harmful traditional practices,” she emphasized.

Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative, commended the authorities in Nimba for progress in eliminating FGM and encouraged them to continue the work to benefit women and girls.

Pre-launch press conference
On the eve of the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign, Ms. Dukureh jointly addressed a press conference to mark the official launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign hosted by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection at the Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, Liberia.

“We need a holistic approach to ending violence against women and girls. We need to understand that not a single person can do it. It takes collective effort to come together, whether its government, civil society, grassroots activists or traditional leaders. We call on all of society to know that this is their business and we need their support,” said Ms. Dukureh.

Launch of the 16 Days campaign

Ms. Dukureh joined the United Nations team in Liberia, the Government and people of Liberia to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence at an event held in Sonkay Town, Montserrado County. She served as the key launcher of the 16 Days campaign.

UN Women handed over the newly constructed vocational and heritage centre to the Government of Liberia and NACCEL. UN Women constructed the centre under the European Union and Government of Liberia Spotlight Initiative to provide alternative economic livelihood programmes to former traditional practitioners of FGM in Liberia.

While launching the 16 Days campaign, Ms. Dukureh pledged to attract partnership support for construction of seven more heritage centres in Liberia. She urged traditional leaders to support the initiative to eliminate FGM in Liberia because it is harmful to women and girls.
“It is important to make sure that these practices are taken away from here and not because someone is giving us something. We have to do it because we believe it is wrong,” she said. 

“We ask you to stand with us and understand that we are not against our tradition. We are not against our culture. The only thing that we want is, let’s continue the initiation without mutilation of girls. When we do that, we can be a model for the rest of the world,” she said.

The Vice President of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor delivered a keynote address and called on NACCEL to engage the legislature and the international community to ensure the speedy passage of the FGM bill into law. She also requested Chief Zanzan Karwor to visit all the Counties where FGM is still being practiced and ask traditional practitioners to stop the practice.

In response, Chief Zanzan Karwor committed to close all bush schools and stop the practice of FGM in Montserrado County in January 2023. 
Comfort Lamptey, Acting UN Resident Coordinator delivered a special message from UN Secretary-General who called on governments to increase funding by 50 percent to women’s rights organizations and movements by 2026.

Meeting with other stakeholders
Ms. Dukureh also had an opportunity to meet with members of the Diplomatic Corps; women’s groups; members of the legislature including the Senate and House of Representatives; the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia and the African Ambassadors in Monrovia who committed to joining the fight to end FGM in Liberia. 
“You have the courage and the voice to advocate for ending FGM in Africa and Liberia for people who don’t have a voice. Your cause is our cause and we will join you to make sure FGM ends in Liberia,” said Liberia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Administration, Hon. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer. 

Representatives of women’s rights groups who attended an engagement meeting hosted by the African Women Leaders' Network Liberia Chapter commended Ms. Dukureh for her bravery in speaking out about a subject that is regarded as ‘taboo’ and for advocating for women’s rights.
In her meeting with members of the Diplomatic community hosted by the EU Ambassador, Laurent Delahousse, Ms. Dukureh emphasized the need to give power back into the hands of communities and support communities to lead the change themselves. 
Ambassador Delahousse, noted that, “We realise the importance of tradition. We feel that tradition is essential to the identity of a nation but when tradition is harmful, illegal, and wrong, it must evolve. FGM damages the body. Each day lost in this fight is a life broken for many girls in Africa.”

Generation Equality

On the last day of her mission in Liberia, Ms. Dukureh met with youth activists, artists and young leaders for an interactive discussion on how both young women and men can be involved in advocacy work, add their voice and mobilize for the elimination of FGM in Liberia. 

Ms. Dukureh shared her experience and how she started advocacy work to end FGM. In exchange, the youth activists, artists and leaders expressed their willingness and commitment to join hands and work with all stakeholders to advocate for the elimination of FGM in Liberia. 
Most of the youth leaders were keen to know how they can support and be part of the movement to eliminate FGM in Liberia. Young male activists were also keen to support the campaign to eliminate FGM in Liberia.

They acknowledged that eliminating FGM is everybody’s responsibility and they have a social responsibility to contribute to the elimination of FGM in Liberia.
 
Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative highlighted the need to work simultaneously at different levels to bring about change and a need to push for the adoption of the draft law to end FGM.  “We need to continue with education because we want to bring about change of practices that have gone on for generations and that will take time,” said Ms. Lamptey.

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Honourable Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr appreciated Ms. Dukureh for coming to Liberia and thanked UN Women for the foresight to ensure that we have a female representing this particular topic as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. 

She highlighted the need for everyone to work together sincerely. "We have made a lot of strides to eliminate FGM. We are working with traditional leaders. Everybody has a role to play in engaging traditional leaders, the custodians of culture," said Honourable Saydee-Tarr.

UN Women is supporting efforts of the Government of Liberia to eliminate gender-based violence through the Spotlight Initiative, a global programme that aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls including harmful practices such as FGM.