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All girls are born complete. Activists from around the world speak out about why female genital mutilation must end and how we can eradicate this harmful traditional practice from our world.
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In Somalia, over 90 per cent or more of girls and women, have been subjected to female genital mutilation, or FGM. Despite the practice having devastating health ramifications for women and girls - including pain, bleeding, permanent disability and even death - discussion over how to end the harmful tradition, remains taboo.
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Catherine Meng’anyi has reached more than 25,000 people from her community by advocating against FGM in a culturally sensitive way. She has rescued more than 200 girls from FGM and early marriage. Catherine has worked under Kenya’s Ministry of Health closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) in adapting materials used to end FGM and applies the WHO’s person-centred approaches to FGM prevention and care.
In April 2023, UNICEF conducted advocacy training for 50 young girls and boys from southern Mali. Among them was 24-year-old Salimata Camara, hailing from Kati in the Koulikoro region.
In Ethiopia, Zekia is driving positive change in her community to end female genital mutilation. An additional commitment from Sweden will support the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation through collective action and community mobilization.
Jaha Dukureh is the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. A renowned activist, she herself is a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. On 19 to 27 November 2022, Jaha undertook a mission to Liberia to support the Liberian Government in their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage.
The governments of Belgium, Germany and Sweden have pledged new funding to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. An additional $23.1 million dollars from the donor countries will help prevent thousands of women and girls from undergoing female genital mutilation in the years to come.
From an FGM survivor to a practitioner to now an advocate working to eliminate the practice in her community, Priscilla Nanagiro is among 60 community activists working with a UN Women programme to drive out the practice of FGM in rural communities in Uganda. The programme uses a methodology called “SASA!” – a comprehensive model that has had much success in changing harmful social norms through community engagement around the world, and particularly in Africa.