A project intended to ensure girls and young women realize their rights to sexual and reproductive health and resist Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been launched by three local groups in Liberia.
Officials of the Community Health Initiative (CHI), He For She Crusaders Liberia (HEFOSEL) and the West Point Women For Health and Development Organization (WPHDO) are expected to campaign under the project, “Sexual Reproductive Rights–Female Genital Mutilation”, a national working group against FGM that raises awareness and increases advocacy to ensure the government complies to local and international commitments to protect women, girls and marginalized groups.
“Women’s sexual and reproductive health is related to multiple human rights, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture, the right to health, the right to privacy, the right to education, and the prohibition of discrimination,” they jointly stated.
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) have both clearly indicated that women’s right to health includes their sexual and reproductive health.
This means that states have obligations to respect, protect and fulfill rights related to women’s sexual and reproductive health. Women and girls should be entitled to the right of sexual reproductive healthcare services and good facilities.
Speaking Thursday in Congo Town at the launch of the program, the Executive Director of Community Health Initiative, Naomi Nelly, said there has been separate groups working towards the eradication of FGM and rights abuse, including sexual reproductive health.
She added that the intent of Sexual Reproductive Rights—Female GENITAL Multination Consortium is to buttress government’s effort in protecting citizens of Liberia From FGM And SRHR.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of He For She Crusaders Liberia (HEFOSEL), Tamba Johnson, noted that the collaboration of over twenty CSO organizations will continuously raise the red flag against FGM and will give women and girls free space to have control over their bodies, and at the same time call the attention of the government to pass a law which will enable citizens to have their will, especially when it comes to FGM and sexual reproductive rights.
For her part, the West Point Women for Health And Development Organization (WPHDOA), Nelley Cooper, noted that the issue of speaking against sexual reproductive rights and female genital multination should not be described as witch-hunting the tradition, as it is meant to give an opportunity to each gender to have their say in the case of FGM. She noted that human right is a tradition by nature.
In response, the National Coordinator of the National Council of Chief and Elders of Liberia, Setta Fofana Saah, said the position of the civil society organizations has been a wish of the National Council of Chief and Elders of Liberia on ground that traditional leaders of Liberia are also interested in educating the youthful generation. She said they are future leaders and their rights should not be infringed upon.
Saah pledged the council’s commitment to working with the CSOs in making sure that the practice of female genital multination and other harmful traditional practices are laid to rest in Liberia.
In closing, the Network Coordinator of a Swedish organization with an open-minded view on sexuality and relationship, RFSU, Amanita Kamara, said her institution supports the anti FGM and sexual reproductive rights organizations because they share similar views. Kamara observed that her institution, in collaboration with other partners, fight for the right to safe and legal abortion and for comprehensive sexual education for all.