Tactics story
Incentives to end FGM, Sierra Leone

Tactic: Incentives

Although the practice is now illegal, an estimated 90% of women in Sierra Leone have experienced Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – a traditional cultural practice with roots more ancient than Christianity and Islam.

Grassroots campaigners are working with communities to inform them of the health dangers of FGM. The campaigners recognise and try to transform the roles of the local women who perform the practice. The goal is to provide incentives for these women to move away from the practice, both by finding alternative income sources and reinventing their roles as guardians of traditional culture through rites of passage that don’t involve cutting.

Sources: The Lancet