Kadijatu Balaima Allieu’s harrowing ordeal of forced female genital mutilation (FGM) has become the catalyst for a landmark ruling by the ECOWAS Court, which declared FGM a form of torture and directed Sierra Leone to criminalize it. FGM is a prevalent practice in Sierra Leone, with a 2019 survey revealing that 83% of Sierra Leonean women have undergone FGM. It also discovered that 71% of these women had been subjected to the brutal procedure before age 15. Yet, the government has not outlawed the practice, which leaves many women with health complications and can lead to death in some cases. As Allieu fights for justice, pressure is mounting on President Julius Maada Bio, now ECOWAS Chair, to respond decisively and ban the practice.
The Guardian
