The judiciary in Sierra Leone is increasingly playing a decisive role in combating female genital mutilation by strengthening law enforcement, addressing legal gaps, and influencing social attitudes, according to a new report by Equality Now.
The study highlights a growing global reliance on courts as international recognition of FGM as a serious human rights violation has expanded over the past two decades, alongside wider criminalization efforts.
FGM, defined as the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, remains deeply linked to gender inequality and carries severe physical and psychological consequences for women and girls.
The report, produced through legal research supported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s TrustLaw initiative, shows that survivors and human rights advocates are increasingly turning to strategic litigation to reinforce protections and accountability.
Drawing on cases from countries including Burkina Faso, Kenya, Liberia, Gambia, India, the United States, and Sierra Leone, the report underscores how legal action can expose systemic failures, clarify laws, establish precedents, and influence public policy beyond individual cases.
It notes that while strategic litigation is a powerful tool, it must be matched with strong enforcement mechanisms and adequately funded justice systems to deliver lasting change.
The findings are reinforced by a landmark 2025 ECOWAS Court of Justice ruling against Sierra Leone, which clarified the country’s obligations to criminalize FGM, protect those at risk, compensate survivors, and prosecute perpetrators.
With UNICEF estimating that 230 million women and girls worldwide have undergone FGM and only 59 countries having explicit laws banning the practice, the report stresses that judicial leadership remains critical to advancing justice, supporting survivors, and ending the practice globally.
