Published: February 13, 2026
CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia — Lawmakers clashed Thursday over whether Liberia should impose a total statutory ban on female genital mutilation or adopt an age-of-consent framework under the proposed Women and Girls Bill.
The confrontation unfolded during a Joint Committee hearing as findings from the Born Perfect Bus Tour were presented to members of the House of Representatives. At issue was whether the Legislature should criminalize FGM without exception or allow adults to consent to the practice.
House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon signaled caution, suggesting that Liberia’s social and cultural realities require a more calibrated approach.
“The issue of FGM around the world has been abandoned in many countries, but Liberia is a different case, so we have to be careful how we handle this issue,” Koon told lawmakers. “If you ask me to make suggestions as a person, I would tell you I prefer the age of consent because you have to look at it critically.”
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Koon did not introduce a formal amendment but stressed the need for broader consultations and empirical data before final passage of the bill, which remains under committee review.
Gender Ministry Rejects Age-Based Exception
Deputy Gender Minister Atty. Laura Golakeh responded firmly, rejecting any age-of-consent compromise and arguing that FGM constitutes harm regardless of the individual’s age.
“As the Ministry of Gender, we believe that no matter how old you are, you should not have to undergo FGM,” Golakeh said. “When we talk about age of consent, we must think about women in communities where those who have not undergone the practice are bullied or coerced.”
Golakeh contended that in tightly knit traditional settings, social pressure and fear of ostracism undermine the notion of genuine consent. She maintained that the government’s position is anchored in public health data, survivor testimony and Liberia’s international human rights obligations, framing elimination of FGM as both a constitutional and moral imperative.
The sharp exchange underscored a broader tension in Liberia’s long-running debate over FGM: how to balance deeply rooted traditional practices with constitutional protections and international commitments to end gender-based violence.
A Bill Years in the Making
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai submitted the draft legislation, formally titled “An Act to Amend Chapter 14, Title 26 of the Penal Code of Liberia by creating a new Sub-Chapter ‘E’ to establish the Women and Girls Protection Act of 2025”, to the National Legislature in 2024. The measure seeks to permanently ban female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices, replacing what critics describe as ineffective temporary moratoriums and executive orders.
The current push follows years of intermittent restrictions, including a three-year moratorium declared in February 2022 by the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia (NACCEL). Advocates say such measures lacked enforcement mechanisms and failed to halt clandestine activity.
During consultations held in Lower Margibi County late last year, lawmakers acknowledged the bill’s political sensitivity. The House Committee on Gender, Children and Social Protection, chaired by Bong County District Six Representative Moima Briggs Mensah, spearheaded a two-day expert and legislative review that included representatives from the Health, Judiciary, Internal Affairs, and Child Development committees, as well as civil society groups and traditional leaders.
ActionAid Liberia, which has worked on women’s rights for more than two decades, presented four key recommendations: swift legislative enactment, dedicated budgetary support, nationwide community education, and protection for activists and survivors.
“We are calling for legislative enactment that goes beyond short-term prohibitions,” said ActionAid Program Coordinator Willet Salue during the consultations. “This must be permanent, adequately funded, and supported by education and protection programs if we are serious about protecting Liberian girls and women.”
Salue and other advocates argued that without dedicated funding, including for awareness campaigns, enforcement, and survivor services, the law could suffer the same fate as previous moratoriums.
Entrenched Norms and Economic Incentives
The Born Perfect Bus Tour findings presented Thursday highlighted the complexity lawmakers now face.
Led by Medica Liberia with support from the Government of Ireland and UN Women, the outreach initiative conducted baseline research in Bong County’s Palala and Salala districts. The study found that many respondents viewed FGM primarily as a cultural obligation rather than a health or religious necessity.
“We found that the majority of respondents indicated that no consequences will occur if they practice FGM, and that it is primarily justified as a traditional or cultural practice,” said Mbalu Winnie Jusu, Medica Liberia’s head of programs. “FGM is driven more by entrenched social norms than by religious or health needs.”
The bus tour engaged more than 100 traditional and Muslim leaders across five counties, including Bapolu and Grand Cape Mount. In Bapolu, some leaders reported that bush school activities linked to FGM had been suspended. In Bong and Grand Cape Mount, however, the practice reportedly continues, though some leaders expressed openness to dialogue.
Former senior member of the National Traditional Council and founder of the Africa Heritage Foundation, Setta Saah, warned lawmakers during earlier consultations that enforcement without community buy-in could drive the practice underground.
“If the engagement is not holistic, especially involving the traditional community and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the bill may pass, but practitioners may still carry on,” Saah cautioned.
She revealed that, despite the 2022 moratorium, FGM is allegedly being carried out secretly in parts of Monrovia, including on Newport Street, underscoring enforcement challenges.
Economic incentives further complicate reform. Over the years, the Sande Society, where FGM is often performed, has evolved into a revenue-generating institution for some traditional leaders, commonly known as zoes. Participants at the Margibi consultations stressed that alternative livelihood programs would be critical to any lasting solution.
“If you ask them to leave the practice, you need to give them something that replaces the income,” Saah said. “Otherwise, they will continue secretly.”
Lawmakers recommended comprehensive data collection on practitioners and expanded heritage centers, initially constructed in select counties under the Spotlight Initiative, to provide cultural education without harmful practices. Some representatives proposed constructing such centers in all 11 counties where FGM is prevalent, with dedicated budget allocations.
Human Rights and International Pressure
Liberia’s debate is unfolding amid mounting regional and global pressure to eliminate FGM.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), more than 230 million women and girls worldwide have undergone FGM, with about 4 million girls at risk annually. West and Central Africa remains a focal region, home to 17 of the 27 African countries where the practice is most prevalent.
UNFPA Regional Director Dr. Sennen Hounton recently warned that 23 million additional girls in West and Central Africa could be subjected to FGM by 2030 unless prevention efforts accelerate dramatically.
“There is no medical, cultural or religious justification for this practice,” Hounton said in a statement marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. “It is a profound violation of a girl’s bodily integrity.”
Globally, Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 calls for elimination of FGM by 2030. UNFPA estimates that the rate of decline would need to be 27 times faster to meet that target.
President Boakai echoed that urgency during his address to the United Nations General Assembly last September, pledging “zero tolerance for gender-based violence” and committing to permanently ban harmful cultural practices.
“What was once a three-year moratorium will now be enshrined in national law,” Boakai told world leaders. “We commit to a National Action Plan for Young Women and Girls, to give them empowerment, voice, protection and participation in our national life.”
Political Risk and Constitutional Questions
Yet on Capitol Hill, the pathway to passage remains uncertain.
Representative Briggs Mensah acknowledged that the bill carries electoral risks for lawmakers representing rural constituencies where FGM is intertwined with identity and tradition.
“This is one bill that is sensitive and even affects our re-election, but we will not stop until we see it passed,” she said. “We are not stopping our culture. We want to remove the harmful part and maintain the good aspects of our tradition.”
Lofa County Representative Augustine Chiewolo urged patience and civic education.
“If something is harmful and should be stopped, we must first educate our people,” Chiewolo said. “We have to go another mile if we want to achieve this goal.”
Some lawmakers also invoked Article 1 of the Liberian Constitution, which states that all power is inherent in the people, arguing that broad community engagement is essential before imposing a sweeping prohibition.
Bomi County Representative Bishop Mannah Johnson stressed collective responsibility. “NGOs do their part, Internal Affairs does its part, civil society does its part, and the traditional people do theirs,” he said. “All have to be a part.”
The Core Policy Divide
Proponents of an age-of-consent framework argue that adult autonomy should be respected and that an outright ban risks backlash and non-compliance. Opponents counter that social coercion undermines free choice and that partial prohibition would entrench inequality by allowing the practice to continue under the guise of adulthood.
Health experts note that FGM can result in severe physical complications, including hemorrhage, infection, childbirth complications and long-term psychological trauma. Rights advocates emphasize that even adult women may face family pressure or fear of exclusion if they refuse.
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