By Dan Mansaray
Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Commission has called for urgent changes to the Child Rights Act to explicitly criminalize female genital mutilation (FGM), saying the existing law does not sufficiently protect children from the practice.
In a statement on Thursday, the commission urged lawmakers and government authorities to amend the 2007 Act to include FGM as a specific criminal offence, with clear penalties for perpetrators.
The call comes amid ongoing concerns by human rights and women’s groups that FGM continues in parts of the country despite public health and child protection campaigns. Activists say the practice violates international human rights norms and causes lifelong physical and psychological harm to girls.
The Human Rights Commission said the current legal framework leaves gaps that make effective enforcement difficult and have allowed the practice to persist without substantial legal consequences.
“We need explicit criminalization in the Child Rights Act so that there can be accountability,” a commission spokesperson said, without giving further details on proposed penalty levels.
Government officials have not immediately responded to the commission’s statement.
Sierra Leone is among several West African countries where campaigners are seeking stronger legal measures and enforcement to end FGM, a practice widely recognized by the United Nations and rights organizations as a violation of the rights of children and women.
