Ending FGM IN
Sierra Leone
As the fight to end FGM in Sierra Leone enters a decisive phase, the frontline is advancing.
West Africa’s most powerful court, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), made history in June 2025, when it ruled unanimously that FGM is a form of “torture”. The court ordered the Sierra Leone government to criminalise FGM and pay $30,000 in compensation to Kadijatu Balaima Allieu, a survivor and mother of two, who was forcibly cut by members of the secret Bondo Society in 2016. However, this message will not reach remote communities unless it is delivered directly.
In November 2025, this historic ruling was taken into remote communities across the country, led by the Executive Director of the Amazonian Initiative Movement, and #FrontlineEndingFGM Co founder, Rugiatu Neneh Turay.
BORN PERFECT BUS TOUR
Adapting term “caravan” to “bus” to avoid Western connotations, frontline activists launched the first Born Perfect Bus Tour in Sierra Leone, travelling across the country from Port Loko to 39 hardline pro-FGM villages. In communities where Sierra Leone’s secret Bondo Society initiation means that over 90% of women and girls are mutilated, activists broke the silence on the truth about FGM, informing communities of the recent ECOWAS ruling. The impact: thousands of parents commit to not cutting their daughters, while all community leaders revoke Sowie (cutter) licences.
An estimated 44,000 women die annually during childbirth due to complications related to FGM, often along with their newborns.
A STORY OF HOPE
Four schoolgirls: Adamsay Bangura, 14; Emma Turay, 15; Zainab Kamara, 15; and Isatu Koroma, 16, were in one of those villages. This is their story.
On November 27th, two days into the tour, an anonymous caller made a call to the team on board the bus as they arrived in the village of Madaka. They reported that four girls had been taken to the Sowei ‘Cutting’ Shrine for mutilation. As the daughters of cutters, Emma, Zainab, Kamara, and Adamsay, were not only to be cut themselves but then trained to carry on the tradition by mutilating two girls each.
Each of the families would pay $100 for their daughters to be trained as cutters over 3 years, during which they would also work as domestic servants.
Rugiatu Turay, leader of the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), visited the shrine with two female police officers from Port Loko’s child protection unit on the 27th at 11:40 am. After accusations of kidnapping and many deliberations with the chief and parents of the girls, Turay safely gained custody of the girls and brought them to her home in Port Loko, where they are now attending school.
Thanks to the Wallace Global Fund, Olwyn Foundation, and the Delegation of the EU in Sierra Leone, and Irish Aid, for believing in the frontline women in Sierra Leone. And a special thanks to Queenagers of NOON Women, who raised enough money to keep all four girls to school for the next 3 years.
OUR PARTNER ON THE GROUND:
Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM)
We are proud to partner with the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), Sierra Leone’s leading grassroots organisation dedicated to ending FGM and GBV. Founded in 2000 by a group of survivors, AIM has over 20 years of deep community trust and has been instrumental in creating lasting change from within.
AIM’s co-founder, Rugiatu Neneh Turay, is one of Sierra Leone’s most trusted advocates for women and girls, and chair of the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP). A survivor and activist, and Chair of the Forum Against Harmful Practices (FAHP), she has a proven track record of uniting grassroots efforts with legal and policy reform, playing a key role in the ongoing ECOWAS court case.
AIM has a history of success that demonstrates the power of local-led movements. Their achievements include:
Replacing 18 traditional Bondo cutting huts with schools.
Training over 100 police officers, prosecutors, and legal practitioners to strengthen the prosecution of violence against women.
Pioneering "Bloodless Rites" in collaboration with the Bondo Society as a safe and culturally respected alternative to cutting.
Creating the first safe shelter for FGM survivors in Sierra Leone.
The Blueprint for West Africa
The success of the Born Perfect Campaign in Sierra Leone is laying the vital groundwork for a regional movement. Our ultimate vision is to scale this proven, cost-effective model across the entire region, ensuring that a generation of girls is born perfect.
The fight against FGM knows no borders. Following our initial launch, the Born Perfect FGM Eradication Campaign will expand its reach across key partner nations in the region: Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Liberia.
Your support is vital. Donate here to eradicate FGM and keep the wheels of the Sierra Leone Born Perfect Buses right turning across the country.
