Kenema, Sierra Leone – Concerns are mounting as reports emerge from Petema village in the Kenema District, where a traditional initiation ceremony allegedly involved girls as young as 9 and 10 years old—and possibly even infants—undergoing female genital cutting (FGC).
The disturbing accounts come at a time when Parliament continues to delay the enactment of the Child Rights Bill 2024, a landmark legislation aimed at protecting children from such harmful practices.
According to credible information obtained by Sierraeye Magazine, the ceremony took place just yesterday, sparking public outrage and renewed calls for immediate legislative action. Unconfirmed reports further suggest that some of the girls were so young they were still being carried on their mothers’ backs.
The proposed Child Rights Bill 2024 includes a critical provision—Section 25—that seeks to outlaw child betrothal, early marriage, and FGC. The bill defines FGC as the “cutting or removal of a part of the female genitalia,” classifying it as a harmful traditional practice that causes lasting physical and psychological trauma. The legislation also frames such practices as rooted in gender and age-based discrimination.
Human rights advocates say the ongoing delay by Parliament to pass the bill is endangering the lives and wellbeing of children across the country.
“Every day that this bill is left in limbo is another day girls are left unprotected,” said one activist. “We cannot afford to wait any longer.”
With public pressure mounting and fresh evidence of abuse surfacing, campaigners are calling on lawmakers to prioritize the bill when Parliament resumes sitting. The fate of Sierra Leone’s most vulnerable children, they warn, hangs in the balance.
