Activists Join Petition Against First Lady Over Support for Traditional Initiation Societies

Anita Koroma, Founder and Country Director of the Girl Child Network, has confirmed her participation in a high-profile petition directed at First Lady Fatima Maada Bio over her public support for traditional secret societies linked to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).

Koroma, alongside several prominent anti-FGM campaigners, signed the petition following the First Lady’s public endorsement and celebrations of the Bondo and Sande societies longstanding traditional all-female institutions in Sierra Leone. While these societies are widely recognized for their cultural, social, and educational roles in initiating young women into adulthood, human rights advocates continue to criticize them for practices that include mandatory genital cutting as part of initiation rites.

Activists involved in the petition argue that the First Lady’s visible support for these institutions risks undermining years of advocacy efforts aimed at ending FGM/C, a practice they say exposes girls to severe physical, psychological, and reproductive health consequences.

In addition to raising concerns about the First Lady’s position, Anita Koroma is also promoting what she describes as a “bloodless rite of passage” model. The proposed reform seeks to preserve the cultural teachings, mentorship, and communal values associated with the Bondo and Sande traditions, while eliminating any form of physical cutting.

The petition has ignited renewed national debate over the balance between cultural preservation and human rights protections, with increasing attention on the influence of political and traditional leaders in shaping the future of such practices in Sierra Leone.