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A Landmark Victory for Human Rights, Women’s Dignity, and Justice Across West Africa

Monrovia, Liberia, July 18, 2025 – The Faith and Justice Network of the Mano River Basin welcomes and celebrates the historic ruling by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, which found the Government of Sierra Leone in violation of the rights of women and girls for its failure to ban and prevent female genital mutilation (FGM).

This bold and unequivocal ruling marks a major human rights victory—not only for the women and girls of Sierra Leone, but for the entire West African region, where FGM remains a widespread form of gender-based violence, often protected by silence, culture, or political expediency.

“This ruling is a powerful affirmation that culture must never be used as a cover for cruelty,” said Tolbert Thomas Jallah, Jr., Executive Director of the Faith and Justice Network. “The time has come for governments, faith leaders, and civil society to protect our daughters—not mutilate them in the name of tradition.
” The ECOWAS Court ruled that Sierra Leone’s failure to criminalize and prevent FGM violates its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Maputo Protocol, and other international human rights standards to which Sierra Leone is a party.
FGM, which has devastating physical, psychological, and spiritual consequences, is a form of torture and discrimination that has no place in any society rooted in justice, dignity, and equality.

The Faith and Justice Network:

• i. Commends the courage of the survivors and human rights organizations who brought the case forward;
• ii. Calls on the Government of Sierra Leone to immediately implement the court’s ruling, including a comprehensive ban on FGM, public education campaigns, and victim support mechanisms;
• iii. Urges all ECOWAS member states to follow suit and enact clear national legislation to end FGM in all its forms;
• iv. Calls upon churches and faith-based institutions to take bold, prophetic stands against FGM, challenging harmful cultural practices with the liberating truth of the Gospel.

“As people of faith, we must stand with Tamar, not with Amnon. We must be protectors, not enablers. The cry for justice has been heard. Now we must act.” — Jallah emphasized.

This decision from the regional court must serve as a turning point in West Africa’s collective journey toward gender justice and human dignity. The Faith and Justice Network, in collaboration with its partners across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, recommits itself to ensuring that no girl’s body is violated, and no tradition outweighs truth.

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About the Faith and Justice Network (FJN)

The Faith and Justice Network is a regional ecumenical movement of churches and Christian organizations across the Mano River Basin working to advance peace, justice, dignity, and responsible citizenship, grounded in faith and prophetic witness.