Sierra Leone bans FGM in clampdown on secret societies
Sierra Leone has banned female genital mutilation (FGM) as part of a wider clampdown on initiation ceremonies by secret societies, a minister has confirmed.
With nine in 10 girls cut, Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of FGM in Africa, according to U.N. data, and is among only a handful of African countries where the practice remains legal.
Girls are cut during initiations into powerful secret societies – known as the Bondo – which wield significant political clout.