--- title: What Happened When Spoke Against Female Genital Mutilation description: 'In my country, raising your voice against circumcision is a grave sin' canonical: https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/ author: World Pulse article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-28T12:00:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T17:03:16.532Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What Happened When I Spoke Out Against Female Genital Mutilation og:description: 'In my country, raising your voice against circumcision is a grave sin' og:url: https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc0307643ac7b254/698890bbcf40a86841c42fd2/sierra-leone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5586 og:image:height: 3142 og:image:alt: SLEONE-FEATURE og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Happened When I Spoke Out Against Female Genital Mutilation twitter:description: 'In my country, raising your voice against circumcision is a grave sin' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc0307643ac7b254/698890bbcf40a86841c42fd2/sierra-leone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Happened When I Spoke Out Against Female Genital Mutilation > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=5dae18d8-443b-4019-86fc-15a5b25275bb&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=5dae18d8-443b-4019-86fc-15a5b25275bb&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=5dae18d8-443b-4019-86fc-15a5b25275bb&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Mariama Kandeh / World Pulse](https://time.com/author/world-pulse/) ## Mariama Kandeh / World Pulse Apr 28, 2016 12:00 PM UTC  People walk in the street of Freetown, Sierra Leone on Jan. 22, 2016. People walk in the street of Freetown, Sierra Leone on Jan. 22, 2016. Sia-Kambou—AFP/Getty Images by [Mariama Kandeh / World Pulse](https://time.com/author/world-pulse/) ## Mariama Kandeh / World Pulse Apr 28, 2016 12:00 PM UTC Growing up, I was meant to believe everything I was told. A questioning attitude is considered a grave disobedience in Sierra Leone. I wanted to be a good child, so when my mother and aunties told me that female circumcision is what’s best for girls and women, I believed them. I even imagined how one day I would have my own daughter and I would have her circumcised. In my country, raising your voice against circumcision is a grave sin, one that can result in punishment from God. The practice is considered a “Sunnah”, as it is reported to have been practiced during the days of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Challenging female genital cutting is equivalent to challenging the very reason for existence. It is challenging our culture, our traditions. My mother strongly believes in female circumcision and that held me back from protesting. My mother: a lovely woman who gave me nothing but genuine love. How was I going to challenge her ideas about female genital cutting? How could I challenge what was supposed to be my own belief system? The pressure to go along with the practice was intense, but I had a growing feeling that I needed to work against it. I turned to a female journalists’ association that I am a part of. They were getting ready to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM on February 6 with a series of media pieces about the harms of the practice. I offered to write an opinion piece. When I told my mother I had written a piece about the female genital cutting initiating groups called “Bondo Society”, she was not happy. The article was due to be published in a few days and my mother said few words. “It is our culture, and I don’t expect you to speak up against it,” she said. I smiled at her and said as mildly as I could, “Things change, Mama. You can’t tell me things are the same today as they were during your time. Every day you remind us about how lucky we are to be born in Freetown and at this time. Similarly, FGM belongs to the past. We are moving forward.” Mama didn’t reply instantly. Taking a spoonful of the rice and cassava leaf she was eating, she looked at me like I was the tiny baby she remembered delivering and said, “You are going to have it hard with the ‘Soweis’ (FGM initiators). I am only warning you to be careful. You are still a small girl.” I didn’t say a word again. My mind was made up. My article was published. Since then, I have been writing about other issues affecting women that are under reported in the media. I am no longer worried about upholding a belief that is detrimental to humanity. Discussing female circumcision is always a perilous path to tread in the Sierra Leone community. The majority of people do not see what is wrong with the practice, even as young girls continue to suffer. Challenging FGM in public could lead to abuse from members of the public who sometimes think the campaigner may have either been brainwashed by foreigners or paid to destroy our ‘almighty culture’. I have experienced that many times. But that has not, and will not, deter me. Through this experience, I have learned that the things everyone seems to believe in are not necessarily the right things to believe in. I learned to speak my truth quietly but clearly and with a strong conviction. I started to question other things I had believed in in the past. Personally, for me to have opened up discussion on female circumcision and to have openly made my stance clear was real empowerment. I feel liberated. It is the beginning of a new era in my life. [_Mariama Kandeh_](https://www.worldpulse.com/en/community/users/mkandeh) _is a contributor from Sierra Leone. This_ [_piece_](https://www.worldpulse.com/en/global-issues/stories/sierra-leone-victory-comes-great-determination) _was originally published on_ [_World Pulse_](https://www.worldpulse.com/en/global-issues)_. Sign up to get international stories of women leading social change delivered to your inbox every month_ [_here_](https://www.worldpulse.com/en/my-pulse/register)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/"},"headline":"What Happened When I Spoke Out Against Female Genital Mutilation","datePublished":"2016-04-28T12:00:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T17:03:16.532Z","description":"'In my country, raising your voice against circumcision is a grave sin'","url":"https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/","keywords":["World","Sierra Leone"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc0307643ac7b254/698890bbcf40a86841c42fd2/sierra-leone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mariama Kandeh / World Pulse"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc0307643ac7b254/698890bbcf40a86841c42fd2/sierra-leone.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SLEONE-FEATURE","caption":"SLEONE-FEATURE","creditText":"Sia-Kambou—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4308502/sierra-leone-female-genital-multilation/","name":"What Happened When I Spoke Out Against Female Genital Mutilation"}}]}] ```