Sierra Leone's "top" female circumcisers lay down their weapons

In a victory for activists, they pledge to safeguard the health of women and girls.

Published August 2, 2006 7:35PM (EDT)

According to TodayOnline.com, relaying word from the Sierra News in Sierra Leone, 15 women considered the "top" female circumcisers in their districts have publicly abandoned their trade. At a rally organized by an NGO called the Amazonian Initiative Movement, the women pledged to work toward "safeguarding the health of women and girls," the state-owned newspaper said. As a symbolic gesture, they burned the tools of their trade.

For more about just how strong a statement these women have made, read this article from the United Nations.


By Lynn Harris

Award-winning journalist Lynn Harris is author of the comic novel "Death by Chick Lit" and co-creator of BreakupGirl.net. She also writes for the New York Times, Glamour, and many others.

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