UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, Jaha Dukureh, is expected in the country to buttress Government of Liberia’s effort in the fight to eliminate FGM and other harmful practices against women and girls.
Ambassador Dukureh will visit Liberia from 19 to 27 November 2022, to support regional and global advocacy with women’s organizations and civil society efforts to end FGM and child marriage.
According to a press release, she contributed to the Gambian Government’s ban on FGM in 2015 after youth mobilization and campaigning in the country.
She also contributed to an investigation on FGM in the United States by former President Obama’s administration, and the subsequent Summit to End FGM at the United States Institute of Peace.
The release says Ms. Dukureh’s visit will coincide with the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign which will be 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”, respectively.
“The visit follows Liberia’s sign up to the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence in 2021 and is intended to support Liberia’s efforts towards the eradication of FGM through multi-stakeholder engagements and high-level advocacy and social mobilization,” says Comfort Lamptey, UN Women Liberia Country Representative.
Major highlights of Ms. Dukureh’s visit include a public screening of ‘Jaha’s Promise’, a documentary film about the life and advocacy efforts of Jaha Dukureh; engagements with various stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders; a solidarity walk to end gender-based violence in Liberia; the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based violence as well as launch of a vocational and heritage centre in Sonkay Town, Liberia.
The Sonkay Town Heritage centre is one of four vocational and heritage centres established by UN Women under the framework of the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative. The four centers are expected to provide alternative economic livelihood programs to former traditional practitioners of FGM in Liberia.
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Ms. Dukureh is expected to engage with various change-makers including government officials, the diplomatic community, traditional leaders, civil society, women’s organizations, and the media. She will also reinforce public knowledge and increase education on the depth, scale, and devastating consequences of FGM.
In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia in collaboration with the Government of Liberia proclaimed a three-year ban on the practice of FGM from 2022 to 2025.
Nonetheless, Liberia remains one of the three West African countries that do not have a law criminalizing FGM despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights instruments condemning the practice as a human rights violation, including the Maputo Protocol that seeks to outlaw FGM.
Meanwhile, the UN Women is supporting efforts of the Government of Liberia to eliminate gender-based violence through the Spotlight Initiative, a global effort that aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices such as FGM. Press Release
