Monrovia — The story of 11-year-old Tracy (not her real name), who was kidnapped and circumcised, claimed the attention of Deputy Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, who met with authorities at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the meeting, Deputy Speaker Koffa pressured Internal Affairs to have Zoe Famatta Musa arrested.
"We are saddened by the news of the snatching of a little girl in Margibi County, who is now said to be seriously injured and is undergoing treatment as a result of Female Genital Mutilation done by a breakaway traditional group. Today, we had a fruitful meeting with the Assistant Minister for Customs and Cultures and the Director for Customs and Cultures, Mssrs Joseph B. Jangar and William Jallah, respectively. We will offer assistance to the victim and call on the Liberian National Police (LNP) to arrest perpetrators for kidnapping, assault and torture," he said.
It can be recalled that little Tracy, who along with other children were kidnapped recently in Kakata, Margibi County, upon the orders of the head zoe, Famatta Musa, was forcibly taken into the Sande Society and she was circumcised.
Little Tracy's case report stated that she was chained by her both legs to stop her from escaping, while her face was tied with a black cloth and was eating only leftover food.
When she was finally rescued from the bush school, and was taken to the Benson Hospital, the medical report said the young girl's clitoris was chopped off and a blood vessel was exposed which made her to have heavy vaginal bleeding. She lost a lot of blood as evidently shown by the use of more than six sanitary pads a day. This led to her needing to be transfused with two pints of blood to save her life. She was said to be released October 3rd by order of Internal Affairs Ministry upon the complaint of the church reaching the office.
Liberia is among 192 UN Member States, which have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments including CEDAW and Maputo Protocol, but the practice of FGM, which is considered a violation against women and girls, is yet to be abolished in Liberia. Article 1 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1979 defines discrimination against women broadly as: "any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field."
The practice of FGM fits within the definition of discrimination against women as set forth in various human rights instruments as a practice exclusively directed towards women and girls with the effect of interfering with their enjoyment of their fundamental rights. Furthermore, FGM causes great short-term and long-term physical and mental harm to its victims.
Assistant Gender Minister for Children and Social Protection, Madam Maminah Carr said via mobile phone, that they were having a stakeholder's meeting on the issue of Tracy, to determine their next plan of actions.
"In today's meeting, we will want to know the woman's whereabouts, which is the Ministry of Internal Affairs' responsibility. When it comes to child rights abuse, the Ministry is constrained to intervene and enforce the law. There is a moratorium on FGM and apart from the moratorium; there are strict rules of what you can do and what you can't do. In the three year moratorium, the traditional people themselves signed and agreed to stop but acting outside of the law and forcibly kidnaping people's children and carry them in the bush is not wrong," she said
Child Rights Advocate, Mrs. Brenda Brewer Moore expressed her disappointment over the issue involving the child and asked for the government intervention.
"I am all for respecting our culture and traditions. However, we do need to recognize that there are components of our cultural norms that are harmful. This child that has been assaulted will have to live with this trauma and pain for the rest of her life. We need to do more work to break the harmful practices that will hurt both the body and mind. Duty bearers need to do more to stop this," she said.
He-For-She Crusaders Liberia's Founder and National Coordinator, Tamba Forkpah Jedidiah Johnson said the child is most likely to suffer fistula and has condemned the practice.
"It can be recalled on September 22, 2022, He-For-She Crusaders Liberia, West Point Women for Health and Development Organizations and Community Healthcare Initiative made a visit to Margibi County and met with Chief Zoe Ma Musa and other Zoes, though they pledged to continue their practice of FGM and today, the same Ma Musa, who stands accused of meting out the brutality against little Tracy.
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"Liberia as a founding member of the United Nations cannot keep violating the rights of women, girls and marginalized groups. We totally condemned and call for justice," Johnson stressed.
He further said though it is true that traditional practice must be respected, however, the rights of women and girls must equally be considered and respected. No one person, irrespective of his/her traditional or civil status has the right to conscript any woman or a girl into FGM, simply because they came to witness the drumming sound.
The 2010 Girls Educational Law of Liberia forbids the operation of Sande/Bush schools in and around schools and closed areas, that, all children must be protected against harmful practice.
Little Tracy is said to be responding to treatment at the health facility in Gardnersville. But her chances of having Fistula and the ability not to have a child remain high, according to the medical practitioners.
