The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, Jaha Dukureh, has intensified the efforts to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by urging FGM advocates to be true to the advocacy.
Mrs. Jaha Dukureh who happens to be a survivor of both FGM and Child Marriage said the fight to end FGM is a personal fight. “When we talk about these issues, it’s not only about our personal experiences but speaking on what we have been through ourselves and knowing that change is coming to our communities; it has to come from us and it has to be driven by us,” she added.
She made those comments to members of the media who attended a press conference held yesterday, November 21, 2022 in the Kofi Annan Conference room of One UN House.
Madam Dukureh recognized the challenges in ending FGM because it is a rite of passage for young women in Liberia.
She is encouraging the Liberian media to take ownership and join the fight in eliminating the harmful practice of FGM in Liberia.
“ I am really happy to be having this conversation with you all because journalists and the media have a crucial role to play when it comes to ending FGM and other forms of violence against women and girls,” Madam Dukureh intimated.
She explained that Liberia has signed on to the different international laws and protocols to protect and defend women’s human rights, therefore it is important that the Liberian media hold Government accountable for not adhering to international laws and protocols signed on to.
She said the only way Africa can succeed in the fight against FGM is for Africans to take ownership alluding that Africa has a very youthful population and working young people have helped her succeed in the fight against FGM in the Gambia.
“I am a representation of what our continent is. Africa has the most useful population and today looking into these rooms I see young people as journalists. I believe working together with the media, we can together achieve this,” Madam Dukureh intoned.
She at the same time called on the Liberian media to report actively on violations of those rights especially FGM.
She however recognized efforts made by the Liberian Government in placing a three-year ban on the practice of FGM.
In February 2022, the National Council of Chiefs and Elders of Liberia in collaboration with the Government of Liberia proclaimed a three-year ban on the practice of FGM from 2022 to 2025.
Nonetheless, Liberia remains one of the three West African countries that do not have a law criminalizing FGM despite having signed and ratified regional and international human rights instruments condemning the practice as human rights violation, including the Maputo Protocol that seeks to outlaw FGM.
“There are lots of opportunities for Liberia to be like a template and a role model in ending FGM,” she said.
Jaha Dukureh, a renowned international women’s rights activist and the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa on female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage, who is visiting Liberia from November 19-27, 2022, in order to strengthen the country’s efforts to eliminate FGM, a harmful practice that affects women and girls.
Ms. Dukureh’s visit coincides with the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to be observed from November 25 until December 10, 2022, with the global theme being “Unite, Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls” and the national theme being “With one voice, let us unite to end violence against women, girls, and children.”
In February, 2018, the renowned activist Jaha Dukureh was appointed to the position of Regional UN Women Ambassador for Africa. Ms. Dukureh, who herself is a survivor of FGM and was married off at the age of 15 against her will and has decided to devote her time and energy to supporting UN Women’s advocacy to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in Africa, with a particular emphasis on engaging young people.
Ms. Dukureh is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the non-governmental organization known as “Safe Hands for Girls.” This organization offers support to African women and girls who have survived FGM and addresses the lifelong, harmful physical and psychological consequences of this practice.
She was a contributor, along with women’s organizations and civil society, to the Gambian government’s decision to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM) after youth activism and campaigning in the country.
Dukureh born in Gambia in 1989, obtained her citizenship in the United States in 2015 has participated in the investigation of the prevalence of FGM in the United States that was conducted by the administration of President Obama, as well as the subsequent Summit to End FGM that was held at the United States Institute of Peace.
Through youth advocacy and mobilization in Gambia, Ms. Dukureh played a role in the Gambian government’s decision to outlaw FGM, in addition to the contributions made by women’s organizations and civil society.
Her life story and efforts to put an end to FGM are detailed in the feature-length documentary “Jaha’s Promise,” which was released in 2017.
As a result of the work that she has done as an activist, Ms. Dukureh was recognized as one of the 100 most influential Africans of 2017 by New African magazine and was included on the list of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2016.
At the seventh annual African Diaspora Awards in 2017, she was presented with the award for “Human rights activist and humanitarian of the year.”
In 2018, she was recognized as one of the top 100 global gender policy influencers by Apolitical, as well as one of the top 10 Africa changemakers by YouthHubAfrica; additionally, she was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
