Sierra Leone's Child Marriage Ban Leaves Female Genital Mutilation Pathway Open

Sierra Leone criminalized child marriage in July 2024, but female genital mutilation—affecting 83% of women and girls aged 15–49—remains legal. The two practices converge in Bondo initiation ceremonies, meaning the ban doesn't address a critical harm route. Activists are pressing for FGM criminalization. The First Lady has declined to support it, citing insufficient evidence of harms.