Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast Talks about Women’s sexual pleasure and everything In between

In the second episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast: Sex Lives of Uncut Outcasts, our host Vickie Remoe is in conversation with Leeanne MaHota Rizk, Director of Mama-Pikin Foundation and a sexual and reproductive health specialist and Umu Jalloh, MSW to discuss the power of pleasure, women’s liberation, and orgasm equality in Sierra Leone.

Who Are The Uncut

Women in Sierra Leone?

In current day Sierra Leone, about 81% of adult women have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as female circumcision. This means parts of the female sexual organs including the clitoris and some part of the vulva is cut off  as a right of passage. This is usually done in most ethnic groups to inculcate young girls into the Bondo/Sande society.

The process is usually done to girls when they are quite young, during their pre-teen and teenage years and the girls are praised and rewarded for undergoing the process despite the intense trauma some of them face.

The uncut women are young girls who did not take part in FGM, meaning that they did not go through the necessary right of passage to be identified as ‘real women.’ Due to this, they are seen as outcasts and referred to as ‘gborka’ as they have not gone through the ‘fire’ to come out ‘golden.’

During conversation on the podcast, it was revealed that guests Leeanne and Umu, as well as host Vickie Remoe are uncut women and that is due to the efforts of their mothers, who had undergone FGM during their youth, to spare them from the trauma and health issues that come with female circumcision.

In not undergoing the process, these women were able to embrace their sexual makeup but it took a while until they were able to understand their bodies and have positive sexual experiences.

Umo Jalloh revealed that although she was sexually active, she did not experience her first orgasm until she was in her 20s, after she had her first child. This is due to issues with orgasm equality as most men have little knowledge on female pleasure and seek to only satisfy themselves without taking the woman’s pleasure into consideration.

The shame behind women exploring their bodies and knowing their preferences in the bedroom was also a key point that was discussed during the podcast. Most women are shamed for making efforts in learning about their sexual and reproductive organs as well as finding out what increases their pleasure during intimate affairs.

Leeanne MaHota Rizk, however, highlighted that pleasure is connected to power and once women own it and accept themselves, there would be less pressure on them to live up to society’s expectations at the expense of their happiness.

“The thing I wish for all women is that we can all live a mind-blowing, orgasmic life because to me those are pleasures of life we shouldn’t miss out on,” Leanne MaHota Rizk said.

Make Sierra Leone Famous Podcast is Available on Video and Audio on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts

This episode also touched on sexual education, patriarchy’s role in sexual pleasure, self exploration, and ways women can combat sexual shame and increase pleasure for themselves in the bedroom. To catch a rewind of the episode, click on this link to stay in tune.

A new episode of the Make Sierra Leone Famous podcast will go out this Thursday at 10:00 AM. It will be available online via YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Audiomack, so make sure to not miss it!