“With the consultation ongoing on the current bill before us, we hope to get a fruitful result, given we have all the facts and findings from these types of initiatives” – House Speaker Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon.
MONROVIA, Liberia — The momentum generated through weeks of community dialogue across Liberia reached a defining moment on Thursday afternoon at the National Legislature, as the Born Perfect Bus Caravan concluded with a high-level consultative engagement at the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill.
The Grand Finale, held under the theme “From Community Dialogue to National Action,” brought together lawmakers, government institutions, development partners, and UN agencies to reflect on key findings from the nationwide tour and chart a path forward toward ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices.
Presenting the findings on behave of the National Coalition Against Harmful Practice two members organization stewards, Mbalu Jusu, Head of Program, medica Liberia and Naomi Tulay-Solanke, Executive Director, Community Health Initiative (CHI).
“In Gbarpolu County, the traditional Leaders said, they have stop operation in the various bushes and are pledge support for initiatives to End FGM, including the current bill” – Mbalu Jusu, medica Liberia.
medica Liberia, in collaboration with CHI and key partners, including UN Women, the Embassy of Ireland, and other European partners, delivered a comprehensive presentation highlighting the tour’s overview, baseline and impact assessment findings, key community messages, and emerging results.
Drawing from dialogues held in multiple counties, the presentation underscored the depth of community engagement and the growing demand for protection, accountability, and sustainable prevention efforts.
At the core of the presentation was a powerful and unified call from communities: harmful practices must end, and national leadership must act decisively in partnership with local voices.
The consultative meeting was convened with the House Joint Committee on Gender, chaired by Hon. Moima Briggs Mensah, Representative of District #6, Bong County. In her remarks, she emphasized the importance of legislative engagement in strengthening protections for women and girls and aligning national policies with the lived realities shared through the Bus Caravan.
“Ireland has been proud to have supported this project through our contribution. Ireland doesn’t lead, we support. We support organizations like medica Liberia and Community Health Initiative because they know what we know, that change doesn’t happen when someone flies in for a few years, only when communities own the conversations”. Amb. Gerard Considine, Embassy of Ireland in Liberia.
The session transitioned into open dialogue, allowing lawmakers and partners to respond directly to the findings. Strong commitment statements followed from members of the Joint Committee Legislative Caucus, representatives of key government ministries including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), development partners such as the Embassy of Ireland and the European Union, and UN Women. Each reaffirmed their dedication to coordinated, multi-sectorial efforts to eliminate FGM and other harmful traditional practices.
The event marked more than the conclusion of a bus tour, it symbolized the elevation of grassroots voices to the highest levels of national decision-making. By bridging community dialogue with legislative action, the Born Perfect initiative reinforced a shared national responsibility to protect the rights, dignity, and bodily autonomy of women and girls.
From remote towns to Capitol Hill, Born Perfect continues to carry one unwavering truth: every girl is born perfect, and safeguarding her future requires both community ownership and sustained national commitment.