When Radio Kergheamahn reporter Chester Dolo decided to tackle the taboo subject of female genital cutting (FGC) – also known as circumcision or mutilation (FGM) – he became the first reporter at his radio station in northcentral Liberia to talk on-air about FGC. Other reporters warned him against it. He was nervous, and even a bit scared. Most women refused to speak with him. It took courage and determination because this traditional practice is deeply-entrenched in the ‘secret societies’ of this West African country.

In Liberia, girls are usually taken into the bush to learn local customs and skills for womanhood. At these so-called bush schools, run by bush societies or the Sande society, the girls also undergo FGC. In Liberia, it is not the most severe form, but it consists of removing some or all of the clitoris. According to Liberia’s 2007 Demographic and Health Survey, 58 % of Liberian women have undergone this procedure.

To report on this sensitive and secretive practice, Chester had to grapple with his own beliefs in witchcraft.

Chester describes the challenges in this audio feature:

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

For more, read a Q & A by jhr trainer and journalist Bonnie Allen with Chester Dolo.

Q: First, introduce yourself and explain why you decided to do this documentary.

A: I’m Chester Dolo. I’m 22 years of age. I presently work at Radio Kergheamahn. Ganta, Nimba County, Liberia. I work as a journalist and I’m doing a story on FGM. FGM is simply Female Genital Mutilation or circumcision. I decided to do this story because this is one of the traditional practices that is taking place in this part of the country. Liberia has signed an agreement with the international community to ban FGM totally, but yet Liberia has not yet signed that law [nationally] to reenforce [abolishing] the practice.

Q: Why don’t journalists in Liberia report on female genital circumcision?

A: For me, at this age, I feel very scared because this issue of FGM is a very sensitive topic or issue in Liberia. This issue is never spoken about. People say that it is a taboo. People who go through that process, it is an agreement amongst those people, before they could come outside [leave the bush school], an agreement that if they go out, there should be no one to talk about it. And even if you are not part of it, you are not allowed to talk. Sometimes, if you talk about it, we have witnessed so many instances where people who talk about this female genital mutilation, they have been witched.

Q: Witched?

A: Yeah, witched – witchcraft. for example, they use juju as we call it in our setting.

Even presently as I speak, I feel very much threatened, I can say. One of the persons I interviewed, she later phoned me, telling me that I shouldn’t disclose her name because she feels very afraid. So even for me, as I speak, doing a story on this I feel my life is not even secure.

Q: So why take the risk?

A: I care about it because it is one of the violations of rights of women. Some people’s children are taken – from the age 5 and upwards – to be circumcised. I feel it against the rights of the children.

Q: Do you think you are brave for reporting on this story?

A: [laughs] I’m not too brave. Yes. Practically, I’m not too brave. But it would be very much difficult to go in the deep rural areas where these practices are well practiced. If you go in the rural areas to actually interview, it would be difficult. If you are not careful, you will even lose your life. Because the real people who go through this process, the real people who are doing this thing, have lots of demonic attitudes. They have lots of things in their hand [powers], that if you are not careful they will witch you.

Q: Do you actually believe someone could harm you with witchcraft?

A: For our setting, for our African setting, there are so many things that people do. People transform themselves into so many things to hurt other people. So witchcraft as a whole, most people believe it in Liberia, and even myself, I believe it.

Q: What reaction have you received from other journalists, or women?

A: Some are saying you don’t have to talk about this. Some are saying you don’t have to talk about this because it is the tradition of the people. Some are also saying people, the western world, wants to impose, or wants to get rid of the culture of the people in Africa so they are using so many reasons, so many strategies to get the culture of people out. And which they are saying FGM is one of the cultures of the people in Africa. So doing a story on this is is denying people of their culture.

Q: How do you feel about that?

A: For me, my thought is, as a journalist, we are to do, is to report on fact. To report on issues not because it is an African issue or an American issue.

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Author: Bonnie Allen
Source: jhr
Original Publication Date: Jan. 22, 2010