A 29 years old girl who hails from Wadabo, Grand Kru County, named Theodora B. Quaye is calling on the government of Liberia, civil society actors as well as the International Community to come to her rescue for fear of being initiated into Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and witchcraft activities.
Accordingly, her urgent plead to the government and its international partners comes’ in the wake of continuous family demand upon her life, thereby making her to escape the county to an unknown destination.
According to Theodora, her father Theophilus S. Quaye aged 63, and Mother Elizabeth the W. Quaye aged 50, who are both Chief Zoe and wizard, has placed her under an intense pressure joining their witchcraft and FGM acts, stating “they want me to take over the practice from them because they are getting older and may leave the scene very soon.”
Accordingly, witchcraft activities are referred to traditionally as use of magic or supernatural powers to inflict harm or misfortunate on others, chant harmful incantations, gather portion from herbs and body parts of animals and humans, sacrifice children, raise the dead, control the natural world, shapeshift themselves and others into animals and invoke underworld among others.
Witchcraft and FGM practices are activities that past governments of Liberia and the international community have over the years denounced as being harmful, thus putting an end to its practices in most parts of the country.
Ms. Quaye continues: “I don’t want to die; Liberia has now lost its sense of dignity because most women and girls are not safe anymore because of FGM and witchcraft activities in the country, and I am running away from this place.”
She lamented that the constant threats on her life and forceful intimidation from family members and traditionalists in the county, are becoming very unbearable for her, thus calling for an urgent intervention from government and its partners.
Statistics of the United Nations Women Liberia revealed the widespread prevalence of FGM, with an alarming 50% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone the procedure.
It can be recalled that former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issued an Executive Order banning FGM for girls under 18 years provided a glim of hope, its expiration in 2019 left a deep void that continues to be exploited by proponents of the practice.
The failure of government to intervene in this situation will undermine the fight in combating FGM and witchcraft activities in the country, despite previous banned and executive orders legislating the act against women and girls, something that leaves them vulnerable to intimidation and harm.