Paper short abstract:

Some reports suggest that ebola has ‘helped’ eradicate FGC/M in Liberia. The ebola crisis, I hypothesise, is likely to exacerbate rather than relieve tensions between institutions contesting FGC/M.

Paper long abstract:

Political participation of women, recognition of indigenous leadership including female leadership, and stopping gender- based violence are three worthy goals that have been highlights of Liberia's postconflict project. My existing research demonstrates that these goals are not always mutually supporting. At times, they come into direct conflict. The lack of a longstanding, collaborative, formal history between Sande leaders and the Liberian government is partly to blame for the conflicts and antagonism specifically over women's issues: who has the responsibility to define and punish sexual violence, whether or not bush school is legitimate, and how marital relations are socially and legally sanctioned.

The 2014 Ebola crisis complexified this contested set of relations even further. The ebola crisis in Liberia transformed donor and governmental priorities, caused corollary health and livelihood crises that are sharply gendered in nature, and deepened distrust between citizens and state.Some pilot reports are suggesting that ebola has 'helped' eradicate female genital cutting because it caused the suspension of initiation practices. These hypotheses are based only on superficial reporting of events and National Traditional Council edicts, rather than in-depth research. As a researcher with a longstanding ethnographic engagement with gender issues in Monrovia, I argue that this issue cannot be understood in alienation from corollary matters of indigenous sovereignty, settler/native cleavages, and liberal humanitarian dilemmas, of which there are many.

Drawing upon participant observation and interviews, I argue that the ebola crisis is likely to exacerbate rather than relieve tensions between institutions addressing FGC/M.