other intentional physical alteration of the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is widely recognized as harmful to the physical and mental welfare of children and as such falls within the prohibitory clause of the Child Rights Act (Mathers, 2012). FGM/C is a traumatic procedure resulting in common complications such as excruciating pain, shock, urine retention, ulceration of the genitals and injury to adjacent tissue. Other potential complications include septicemia, infertility and obstructed labour and as such FGM/C also poses a threat to the health of infants born to girls or women who have undergone the procedure. A local study found that 80 percent of FGM/C is performed by a traditional practitioner, 78 percent result in excessive bleeding, 68 percent in delayed healing, and 45 percent in fever (especially amongst children) (Bjalkander, 2013). Despite the harm caused and the implicit prohibition thereof in terms of the Child Rights Act as well as other laws such as the Domestic Violence Act, the custom continues to be widely practiced. In 2010 there was an 88 percent incidence among women aged 15-49, a 70 percent incidence among girls aged 15 to 19 years, and a 10 percent incidence among girls aged 0-14 years (Statistics Sierra Leone and UNICEF, 2011). The primary reason for its wide-spread acceptance is that it brings social acceptance (Mathers, 2012). The original Child Rights Bill expressly prohibited FGM/C, but the relevant clause was removed prior to enactment of the law because it was regarded as too sensitive an issue to be dealt with through legislation (Bjalkander O., 2013). Instead, the GoSL has chosen to address the issue from an advocacy and behavior-change perspective. As recently explained by the Minister of SWGCA, successfully addressing the issue of FGM in Sierra Leone so as to ensure the protection of the rights of children can only be achieved through a balanced approach. He further expressed the reservation that it is unrealistic to expect that a purely legalistic approach based on prohibition of the practice and prosecution of those involved could succeed in protecting girls and women from the practice. As explained by the Minister, success requires a “gradual process, we cannot just take the bull by the horns, let us apply a very peaceful negotiation and reconciliation methods before reaching our destination” (Minister SWGCA, 15 April 2014). Accordingly, the GoSL, with strategic and logistical inputs from UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, DFID, Irish Aid and NGO partners has adopted a mediated approach to decreasing the incidence of FGM/C through behavioral change initiative, education and strategic advocacy for change at a local level. The formation of the coalition – the National Movement for Emancipation and Progress (NaMEP) – in 2007 brought key players together to start a discourse on addressing the abandonment of FGM/C. Community meetings, radio discussions and other forms of advocacy have led to open discussions of FGM/C and breaking a culture of silence. Increased availability of scientific research and evidence and inclusion of FGM/C in national monitoring tools is raising awareness of its impact. In 2012 UNICEF supported an in-depth analysis of MICS and DHS data and ethnographic research to better understand factors contributing to abandonment, and GIZ was supported to map organizations working to abandon FGM/C. 18  Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone Initial Report on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 2002-2014