Project Description: In spring 2010, in collaboration with the Center for Safe Motherhood Youth and Child Outreach (CESMYCO), a leading anti-FGM NGO in Sierra Leone, the Leitner Clinic designed and conducted anti-FGM human rights workshops for hundreds of students in seven secondary schools in northern Sierra Leone. In addition, the Leitner Clinic held town hall meetings to collect information about FGM and community by-laws in order to draft a community by-law to regulate the practice of FGM. The Leitner team consisted of Fordham Law students Jenna Beatrice (`11), Allison Chandler (`11), Melissa Paquette (`11), and Ryan Sylvester (`11) and was supervised by Prof. Chi Mgbako. Partner Organization: The Center for Safe Motherhood Youth and Child Outreach (CESMYCO) is a Sierra Leonean NGO that campaigns against FGM. CESMYCO works throughout Sierra Leone to train and sensitize communities about FGM. Project Outcome: The Clinic drafted a proposed community by-law to regulate FGM at the community level; researched funding sources for CESMYCO to continue its efforts, particularly to promote alternative employment for soweis (women leaders within the Bondo secret society in which FGM occurs in Sierra Leone); and developed a blog page for CESMYCO to increase visibility of its work. 
Description of Fieldwork:In March 2010, the Leitner Clinic traveled to Sierra Leone to conduct workshops related to FGM and other harmful traditional practices in secondary schools in the Kambia district in northern Sierra Leone where CESMYCO has successfully been battling FGM for ten years. The Leitner Clinic also worked with CESMYCO to conduct outreach workshops with medical personnel. Finally, CESMYCO and the Leitner Clinic led community workshops with FGM initiators and traditional leaders on the possibility of drafting community by-laws banning the performance of FGM on women younger than 18 years of age as a first step in outlawing the practice on the village level in parts of the Kambia and Mabina districts where CESMYCO has long-standing relationships with the community.
