Anti-FGM Campaigner : First Lady Cannot Determine Truth of Forced Initiation Allegations
By Kelvin Jay
Anti-FGM campaigner Neneh Rugiatu Turay has responded to Fatima Bio claims about a 30 years old woman who was forced to Female Circumcision.
Speaking during the Liberty Show aired on Liberty TV, Mrs. Turay stated that the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Bio, has no right to sit on social media and tell the public that the alleged forceful female circumcision of a 30-year-old woman is a lie.
According to Mrs. Turay, the First Lady is neither a police investigator nor a medical doctor and therefore cannot conclusively determine the facts surrounding the case. She argued that such matters should be left to the appropriate authorities to investigate and report on.
Mrs. Turay further revealed that her involvement in politics was partly motivated by her desire to bring the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) into national political discussions. She disclosed that she had previously written to all political parties, urging them to engage in dialogue on FGM-related concerns, but claimed that the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) had not been cooperative on the issue.
She maintained that leaders should take a firm stance against FGM and protect the rights of women and girls rather than support practices that have attracted widespread criticism from human rights advocates.
The anti-FGM activist further alleged that politics has influenced Fatima Bio’s position on the issue, arguing that political considerations have led her to support a practice that many campaigners continue to oppose. “The First lady is most times conflicted herself. Sometimes she says one thing and later appears to contradict it,” Mrs. Turay said, referring to the First Lady’s public statements on FGM.
The remarks come amid growing public debate over allegations that a 30-year-old woman was forcibly initiated into the Bondo society and subjected to female circumcision, a claim that has generated significant discussion across social media and among civil society organizations.
