Sierra Leone’s first lady refuses to condemn FGM without ‘reliable data’ on harms

Sierra Leone’s first lady Fatima Maada Bio says she wouldn’t openly condemn FGM until she saw ‘reliable data’ that it was harmful. Photograph: Ahmed Jallanzo/EPA

The first lady of Sierra Leone has denied that she supports female genital mutilation amid rising anger around her perceived approval of the practice.

But in an exclusive response to the Guardian, Fatima Maada Bio, the wife of President Julius Maada Bio, also said she would not openly condemn FGM until she saw “reliable data” that the practice was harmful.