“The term ‘FGM’ is considered inappropriate, as it is seen as insulting and disrespectful to the culture of the Bondo Society.”

On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the National Sowei Council issued a press release expressing their dissatisfaction with clauses in the Child Rights Bill, which is currently before parliament.

In an interview with Liberty Online Television, Dr. Fuambai Sia Nyoko Ahmadu, the Advisor and Spokesperson of the National Sowei Council, claims that it is a sneaky move by the current policymakers to insert an anti-FGM clause into the Child Rights Bill. She has noted that the words “female genital mutilation” are a misrepresentation of the ideal practices in the Bondo Society.

Dr. Ahmadu also pointed out that traditional women’s participation in the bill-drafting process was not adequate. She feared that anti-FGM activists are being culturally insensitive towards the “Bondo Society” and further claims, and they are being insincere as they are using the fight against FGM as a “money industry.”