The Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia AFELL has raised the volume on advocating for the criminalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) activities across the country.
According to the president of AFELL, Philomena Williams, FGM is a harmful practice to women and girls’ lives and as such, the practice of removing girls and women genital should be abolished.
She said the forceful cutting of girl’s genitals more especially at early ages is deceptive and has no significant benefits rather than health hazard and other complications to their well-being.
“AFELL notes the emerging and evolving issue of female genital mutilation,” Madam Williams stressed.
The female lawyer further explained that the effects of said practice is a lifelong scar left on young females that diminishes their sexual ability and risk reproductive chances in the future.
She reported that on a daily basis affected women under domestic violence go to the Association’s office with complaints of maltreatment by their husbands because of their failure to compose themselves sexually or delay in child bearing.
“In consonance with the constitutional rights of a girl child, AFELL passionately and zealously seeks the support of the Bar to ensure legislation that will criminalize FGM,” she told members of the Liberia National Bar Association at their just ended convention at the Paynesville Town recently.
At the same time Atty. Williams recognized and applauded the LNBA for the working collaboration that exists between the Bar and the women group of lawyers flagging the performance Cllr. Rachel Duobah as the Bar’s National Treasurer.
She then linked the Bar’s convention theme “Contemporary development in the law; Implication for Liberia’s legal system” specifically to violence against women and children particularly to physical violence, rape, Domestic violence and physiological violence.
She added, “We are alarmed by the raising inflammable media attacks on women; all of which impedes the progress of legal enhancement. It must stop!”
