Forum Against Harmful Practices-FAHP

20/08/2026

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION IS NOT A WORD. FGM IS PATRIARCHAL. FGM IS TORTURE.

There is nothing like “female circumcision.” Circumcision and FGM are not equivalent terms, medically or in their consequences. FGM involves the cutting, removal or alteration of healthy female ge***al tissue, and it can result in severe pain, bleeding, infection, sexual and reproductive complications, psychological trauma and, in some cases, death.

So why do we continue to call it “female circumcision”?

Culturally, FGM has been passed down through generations as part of initiation, identity, tradition and social acceptance. But the fact that something is cultural does not automatically make it harmless or beyond question. Culture must also be examined when it causes harm.

FGM is also patriarchal because it exists within systems that have historically placed authority over women’s bodies, sexuality and behavior in the hands of others. In Sierra Leone, the Bondo initiation system operates through established structures of authority, with Soweis carrying out the cutting as part of the initiation process, while the wider system is shaped by traditional and community power structures that have historically been male-dominated. This raises an important question: who decided that a girl’s body must be altered before she can be accepted as a woman?

Medically, there is no health benefit that requires a girl to undergo FGM. Religiously, we must also be willing to ask: where is the clear scriptural command that requires the cutting of female ge***alia? A practice should not automatically be treated as a religious obligation simply because it has been attached to religion or tradition over time.

This is why the language matters. Calling FGM “female circumcision” can make a harmful practice sound normal, harmless and equivalent to male circumcision when it is not.

We can respect culture without Normalizing harm. We can respect tradition while questioning what needs to change. And we can respect women while defending their right to bodily autonomy.

FGM is not female circumcision. It is a harmful practice rooted in culture and sustained within patriarchal systems. And when that practice causes severe and lasting harm, we must have the courage to call it what it is: violence and torture.

14/08/2026

11/08/2026

The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP), in their efforts to create an alternative source of livelihood for VSLA members, as well as ex-practitioners (Soweis), on the 6th of August 2026, successfully concluded a two-day training on Nutrition, Food Utilization, and Climate-Smart Agriculture, for VSLA members in 10 districts engaged in agricultural activities, held at Hotel 5-10 (SLTU), off Bai Bureh Road, Freetown.

The training, with great support from Irish Aid through the Irish Aid Project, aimed to equip participants with practical knowledge and skills to improve household food security, nutrition, food utilization, and climate resilience.

The two-day learning experience Faciltated by Mr John Kowa Kamanda an expert in Food and Climate studies, featured interactive sessions, practical exercises, group work, and participant presentations, creating space for knowledge sharing and community-driven solutions towards more sustainable livelihoods.

From better nutrition to climate-smart practices, knowledge is a pathway to stronger and more resilient communities.

10/08/2026

This is tradition worth celebrating.

The songs, the joy, the togetherness, the culture this is what we want to remember and preserve.

A celebration of Bondo culture, identity and community, while leaving harmful practices behind.

Culture without harm. Tradition with dignity.

YES TO BONDO. NO TO CUTTING. Irish Aid AIM Sierra Leone Purposeful #

10/08/2026

This is tradition worth celebrating.

The songs, the joy, the togetherness, the culture this is what we want to remember and preserve.

A celebration of Bondo culture, identity and community, while leaving harmful practices behind.

Culture without harm. Tradition with dignity.

YES TO BONDO. NO TO CUTTING.

10/08/2026

FAHP CELEBRATES ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE: 55 GIRLS. One Bloodless Rite. One Powerful Statement: Bondo Is More Than the Cut.

The Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP) celebrates another significant milestone in its continued efforts to promote Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP), popularly known as Bloodless Bondo.

On 9 August 2026, Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), in partnership with the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP), and support from the Irish Aid, successfully conducted an Alternative Rite of Passage for 55 girls in Mabalay Village, Thawuya Section, Bakeh Loko Chiefdom, Port Loko District.

This milestone is part of Irish Aid's unwavering support, with four previous ARP initiatives supported by Irish Aid across districts, and two pending. This sustained support demonstrates Irish Aid's commitment to advance culturally grounded approaches that protect the right and dignity of women girls while addressing harmful practices.

The ceremony brought together parents, traditional leaders, Bondo practitioners (Soweis), FGM survivors, Born Perfect Girls, community members, development partners, well-wishers and Community FGM Ambassadors, who gathered to witness and celebrate the girls' journey.

As part of the rite, the girls participated in key cultural processes, including the hand-washing ceremony, Fainkray movement and recitations, and ceremonial entry into the Kantha, where they continued their learning and preparation. The process proceeded through (Lukneh) and culminated in their graduation and transition into Shema.

The celebration demonstrated that Bondo's cultural identity can be preserved without FGM. Through songs, dancing, teachings, sisterhood and other cultural expressions, the girls experienced a rite that celebrates tradition while protecting them from the pain, trauma and lifelong health consequences associated with cutting.

The essence of Alternative Rites of Passage: ending FGM does not mean ending culture. It means supporting communities to preserve what is meaningful in their traditions while leaving harmful practices behind.

The successful completion of the rite by 55 girls marks another step in the collective effort to build a future where culture, tradition and the rights of girls can coexist.

THIS IS A CULTURE WORTH CELEBRATING!

04/08/2026

Sierra Leone is a very beautiful country despite all our challenges; it is very peaceful. When you look at countries affected by armed conflict, such as Somalia or Palestine, it's heartbreaking to see what people endure. I'm grateful that Sierra Leoneans are not going through that kind of war.

But we fail to realize is that war doesn't always involve guns or bombs.

Sometimes, the war is women fighting for their rights. Women fighting for bodily autonomy. Women fighting to live free from violence and harmful practices. Peace and security are not simply the absence of armed conflict; they also mean living with dignity, safety, and the freedom to make decisions about your own body.
In Sierra Leone, conversations around FGM, women's rights, equality, and feminism happen almost every day. But behind these terms are real people with real stories. Behind every debate is someone who has experienced pain, trauma, or injustice.

What is especially difficult is that sometimes women themselves defend these harmful practices. I don't always think it's because they intend to cause harm. In many cases, they genuinely don't recognize that harm exists because these practices have been normalized over generations.

There's a psychological concept known as Stockholm syndrome, where a person develops sympathy or attachment toward someone who has harmed or controlled them. While it's not a perfect comparison, it illustrates how people can sometimes accept harmful situations as normal after being exposed to them for a long time.

Similarly, when a practice has existed for generations, many people grow up believing it is normal. What was once questioned becomes normalized, and what is harmful can come to be seen as acceptable.

That's why discussions about FGM and related practices are often so sensitive. Some people respond by saying, "It didn't happen like that to me," or "I went through it and I'm fine." While that may be their personal experience, it does not erase the experiences of others who have suffered physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

Recognizing that different people have different experiences is an important part of having an honest conversation. Only by listening to those experiences can we work toward a future where every woman and girl can live with dignity, safety, and the freedom to make informed choices about her own body.

22/07/2026