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An Emergency Within an Emergency: The Crises of Climate Change and Female Genital Cutting

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Theme Statement

It is an understood global reality that women and girls are facing the harshest impacts of climate change. Activists across the world have fought for the inclusion of women and girls in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Yet, too little is being done to address the multitude of ways in which climate change disproportionately impacts women and girls. One of the often overlooked impacts of climate change is its impact on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Defined by the WHO as any procedure that involves the removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, FGM/C is internationally recognized as a human rights violation. For many girls across the globe, climate change has only served to make them more vulnerable to this form of harm.

This event will explore the impact of climate change on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and hear from the activists themselves who are working to uplift girls in their communities about what can be done.

About the Event:

WHAT: An Emergency Within an Emergency: The Crises of Climate Change and Female Genital Cutting

DATE: Friday, September 16, 2022

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. EST, Eastern Daylight Savings time (EDT) (e.g. New York, USA)

FORMAT: Online, Zoom

Watch the Recording of the Event below

MODERATOR

Mariya Taher

 Co-Founder and US Executive Director of Sahiyo

Mariya Taher has worked in gender-based violence for over a decade in the areas of teaching, research, policy, program development, and direct service. In 2018, Mariya received the Human Rights Storytellers Award from the Muslim American Leadership Alliance. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the six inaugural grant recipients for the Crave Foundation for Women. Since 2015, she has collaborated with the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association to pass legislation to protect girls from FGC. After starting a Change.org petition and gathering over 400,000 signatures, Massachusetts became the 39th state in the U.S. to do so. She also sits on the steering committee for the US End FGM/C Network. As of 2021, Mariya serves as an expert consultant for the Department Of Justice Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting technical assistance project.


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Panelists

Neha Wadekar

Independent Multimedia Journalist

Neha Wadekar is an independent multimedia journalist reporting across the globe. She reports at the intersections of climate, gender, conflict, health, human rights, emerging democracies, and politics. Neha’s written and video work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, PBS NewsHour, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Mother Jones, CNN, and others. She has received fellowships from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, the United Nations Foundation, the Fuller Project, the Overseas Press Club, the International Women’s Media Foundation, and the Groundtruth Project.

 

Eva Komba

Gender, Governance, and Social Development Specialist

Eva Komba is an experienced development professional in the area of international gender and development expert with 10 years of experience. She has major competencies in matters of Public Policy Formulation and Research, Access to gender justice, Sex and Gender Based Violence Programming and Implementation, Ending Harmful Traditional Practises and Combating Trafficking of Women and Girls in Africa. She is also skilled in the area of Monitoring and Evaluation, Gender Responsive Budgeting, Gender Mainstreaming as well as Women Empowerment.

Domtila Chesang

Founder and the Director of I_Rep Foundation

Domtila Chesang is a champion fighting to end FGM, child marriage and other harmful cultural practices. She has been advocating for girls and women’s rights since 2014 through various initiatives. As a full time women’s rights advocate, she founded the I_Rep Foundation, which is a community based organization that she uses as a vehicle to create awareness around these issues and provides platforms at the community levels for learning and dialogue. Because of her fearless campaigns and passion for girls and women’s rights protection and empowerment in her community, she has received a number of recognitions both locally and internationally. In 2017, she was among three Kenyans to receive the prestigious Queens Young Leaders Award presented by the Queen of England in Buckingham Palace. In 2018, she was recognized as the African Youth Leader of the year. She was nominated as the Human Rights Defender of the year in 2019. She is also a founding member of the African Women’s Rights Advocate.

CSW66: Engaging Men to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

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Theme Statement

Recognizing that FGM/C is a social and gendered norm, upheld through complex systems of patriarchy and tradition, our global Call to Action acknowledges the need to engage boys and men. The live webinar will explore how boys and men are involved in efforts to end FGM/C globally, and what the movement is doing to expand male participation, through a mixture of panel discussion, fireside chat, case study and perspectives from grassroots activists. 

About the Event:

WHAT: Engaging Men to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

DATE: Monday, March 14, 2022

TIME: 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings time (EDT) (e.g. New York, USA)

FORMAT: Zoom

MODERATOR

Carol Jenkins

President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality

Carol Jenkins is a women’s rights activist, author, television host, and former television journalist. She currently serves as President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality, sister organizations dedicated to the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States. Previously, Carol Jenkins was founding president of The Women’s Media Center, a national nonprofit organization created to increase coverage and participation of women in media. As former chair and current board member of Amref Health Africa USA, an arm of the largest health NGO in Africa, Ms. Jenkins is engaged in efforts to support health programs for African women and girls.


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SPEAKERS

Mireille Tushiminina

Global Coordinator of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation

Ms. Mireille Tushiminina, Global Coordinator of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation has more than 21 years of expertise, at the senior management level, in international development, conflict prevention & resolution, peacebuilding, policy reforms, women's peace and security agenda, human rights, and gender & democratization. Before joining UNFPA in Addis, Ethiopia, Ms. Tushiminina served as Country program coordinator for UN Women in Bujumbura, Burundi.  

 

Rodrigue Nkwayaya

European End FGM Network

Champion of Change with AkiDwA/Ireland or Akina Dada wa Africa, national network of migrant women living in Ireland. He is a facilitator looking into the issue of Female Genital Mutilation among migrants living in Ireland in the Direct Provision Centres. Rodrigue works with men and communities to fight against FGM.

Catherine Cox

Programme Coordinator, Sahiyo - Bhaiyo program, Global Platform to end FGM/C.

Catherine Cox is the U.S. Programs Coordinator for Sahiyo: United Against Female Genital Cutting a transnational organization dedicated to empowering communities to end female genital cutting through dialogue, education, and collaboration. In her time at Sahiyo, she has been working to help run Bhaiyo, Sahiyo's male allyship program. Bhaiyo's mission is to create a space where male allies can come together to collaborate, spark dialogue, and spread information about this form of gender-based violence and its harmful impacts.

Fatima Sy 

Executive Secretary of the Senegalese Association for the Future of Women and Children (ASAFE)

I am a young woman working in the public health and humanitarian field for more than 10 years; Concerned about the future of young people and more particularly women, I had the honor in 2011 to join the Association des jeunes pour le Développement (AJD/Pasteef) as an assistant program manager. This position allowed me very early on to lead several programs to combat violence against women and young people. Living in a patriarchal society where the man is considered superior to the woman, we have noted for centuries multiple violence exerted against the latter. This is why I decided to participate in the awareness of my sisters and brothers in order to change this silence.

"To participate in the fight against female genital mutilation, it is important to involve future parents, namely young people". "Participating in the emancipation of women and girls is a duty of every citizen". Also, in the same vein, I currently hold the position of Executive Secretary of the Senegalese Association for the Future of Women and Children (ASAFE), created in 1997 and legally recognized in 2002. Indeed, I hold a Higher Diploma in Social Work option Social Services Management, a Master II in Finance and Public Management, a Master 2 in Citizenship, Human Rights and Humanitarian Action and a state diploma in social work, specialist in supervised education. I am passionate about early childhood and my fight is to see a significant representation of young people in decision-making bodies. With that, I was recently elected deputy mayor of the city of Guédiawaye. Fatimata Mamadou L. SY, Counselor in Social Work, specialized in Management of Social Services, Lawyer, specialized in Citizenship, Human Rights and Humanitarian Action Holder of a master's degree in Finance and Public Management 

Mariya Taher 

 Co-Founder and US Executive Director of Sahiyo

Mariya has worked in gender-based violence for over a decade in the areas of teaching, research, policy, program development, and direct service. In 2015, she co-founded Sahiyo, an award-winning, transnational organization with the mission to empower Asian and other communities to end female genital cutting (FGC). In 2018, Mariya received the Human Rights Storytellers Award from the Muslim American Leadership Alliance for her innovative approach in using storytelling to engage communities in abandoning FGC. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the six inaugural grant recipients for the Crave Foundation for Women. She also sits on the steering committee for the US End FGM/C Network. As of 2021, Mariya serves as an expert consultant for the Department Of Justice Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting technical assistance project.

Dame Ndiaye

Coordinator of the National Youth Alliance for Reproductive Health

Graduated in project management and organization, Dame Ndiaye capitalizes on an experience of more than 12 years on health and development issues. 

Activist, engaged in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights of young people, issues of gender equality and human rights. His commitment aims to promote actions that can provide young people and women with access to information, to health services adapted to their needs, to fight against early, unwanted pregnancies, infanticides, STIs, HIV/ AIDS and maternal, child and neonatal mortality, FGM/C, child marriage, malnutrition and others. In 2008, he was co-opted by the ASBF as peer educators.

His very early integration into associative movements, allowed him to capitalize on a solid experience on health issues through training, seminars, workshops, community activities and national and international conferences. In 2010, he was recruited thanks to his leadership to coordinate the ASK project in the Dakar region in order to facilitate young people's access to quality health services. In 2013, he was supervisor of the evaluation of the community strategy project to fight against maternal and neonatal mortality in the health district of Ndiaréme Guédiawaye. In 2016, he co-founded the National Youth Alliance for Reproductive Health and Family Planning in Senegal. This alliance has enabled him to build the capacities of several young people on health development issues. The ANJSRPF is an umbrella association that brings together young people and youth associations working on reproductive health issues, on FGM-F, on GBV. The idea of ​​setting up ANJ-SR/PF is to capitalize on the experiences of all these young people and make interventions with young people, by young people on issues such as FGM, reproductive health, nutrition, food and issues of sustainable development. It works for the involvement of young people in decision-making bodies. In the same year, he initiated the consultation framework for young leaders to enable them to take ownership of policies and programs at the national and international level. It is in this spirit that he was in charge of the programs of the APC project funded by FHI360 as part of the promotion of young people's access to quality health services. 

His commitment and dedication to respecting the sexual rights of adolescents and young people enabled him to be head of the RHRN platform from 2017 to 2020, which is a program essentially focused on capacity building and advocacy funded by Rugters. In 2017, he participated in a study on the factors favoring child marriage in Senegal. 

His highly valued experience is the subject of requests from civil society organizations and the Directorate of Reproductive Health in the development of health policies and programs for young people. Mr. NDIAYE participated in and moderated several panels on issues of health, demographic dividend, FP, nutrition and NTDs; Dame NDIAYE, represented Senegal in several conferences at the international level: International Conference on Family Planning Indonesia International Conference on Neglected Tropical Diseases Currently 

Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C Statement on The Gambia

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As an international consortium of civil society organizations, champions, survivors, and grassroots representatives united in a singular mission to support the abandonment and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), we (the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C) express our profound concern over the attempts to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia.

This law represents a critical safeguard for the rights, health, and well-being of girls and women in The Gambia, and its repeal is a direct threat to the hard-won progress made in protecting them from this form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).  

We stand in unwavering solidarity with the local activists in The Gambia who work tirelessly to uphold the ban on FGM, championing the rights and well-being of women and girls in their communities. We call on the Gambian authorities to honour their commitments under international and regional human rights instruments and reject this harmful Bill.

It was powerful to witness the outpouring of international support for upholding the FGM ban. For further details, statements and speeches, please refer to the list below:

Collation of Regional and International Statements in support of upholding the law on FGM in the Gambia

‘The Maputo Protocol is based on the CEDAW [the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women] but it makes it appropriate for the African continent because it mentions culture’, Mionki says. ‘The protocol makes it quite clear that we are not going to use religious values as a smokescreen. It says that culture is a positive thing but that we must eliminate harmful practices. One of those is FGM, which the protocol is unequivocal about: it’s a harmful practice.’  Judy Mionki African Regional Forum Liaison Officer, IBA Human Rights Law Committee

We urge lawmakers in The Gambia to prioritise the protection of human rights and uphold their obligations under international conventions by retaining the ban on FGM. We call on the Gambian National Assembly to reject this dangerous bill and send a clear message that the rights of Gambian women and girls will not be compromised.”

‘We are an international coalition of women's and human rights organizations and are writing to you today with an urgent plea to uphold the current legal ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. We, the undersigned organizations, have been campaigning for human rights for years, many of us specifically on gender-specific issues and female genital mutilation. Some of us also work together with representatives of the Gambian diaspora and Gambian activists, who have brought the current events to our attention. With this open letter, we are therefore responding to a request for support from advocates of the existing ban and want to express our full solidarity with them.’ 

‘As the National Assembly of The Gambia will soon enter the second ordinary session of the year to discuss, among other things, the alarming repeal of the ban on FGM, End FGM EU is deeply worried about the potential reversal of the ban and its dreadful consequences on the lives of millions of individuals in The Gambia and the world. This would result in severe violence against the rights of women and girls, depriving them of the layer of protection that the ban on FGM offers and will have a significant impact on the global movement to end FGM.’

“More civil society organisations (CSOs) have joined the call for the rejection of the proposed Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2023 which is aimed at lifting the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. Another group of CSOs comprising Female Lawyers Association The Gambia (FLAG), The Gambia Bar Association, and The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) Wednesday engaged the National Assembly Joint Committee of Health and Gender on a consultative meeting about the aforementioned bill. FLAG president Ms. Anna Njie said they oppose the proposed private member’s bill because repealing the anti-FGM law will not only weaken national protections for women and girls but also exposes The Gambia to legal challenges and potential loss of international support. As an institution, she said they recommend the upholding of the FGM law. Njie highlighted four key recommendations from the policy brief presented to the joint committee for consideration. One is for the committee to reject the proposed FGM Bill and uphold the integrity of the anti-FGM law in alignment with constitutional, national and international obligations.”

“As a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), born and raised in The Gambia, a Serahule and a proud Muslim, my journey has been one of pain, resilience, and unwavering determination, but also recognizing my roots and the challenges that comes from speaking up, especially if you are a woman and more especially if you are one from my own group. Today, as I reflect on the challenges that lie ahead, I am compelled to raise my voice in defense of the progress that has been made in protecting our daughters, our sisters, and our future generations. I am convinced that more than ever today, FGM must end with our generation. This has been my position and I have invested my own efforts to raise awareness by sharing my own experience and helping bring the issue to the public agenda.”

Statement Signatories:

End FGM Canada Network, End FGM European Network, Equality Now, Orchid Project, Sahiyo, The Girl Generation, The US End FGM/C Network

CSW68: From Rhetoric to Reality: Closing the Funding Gap to End FGM/C

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The 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is taking place on 11-22 March 2024. The CSW 68 priority theme is “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.”

About the event

Date: Fri, 15 March, 2024

Time:  4:30 PM – 6:00 pm 

Location: Church Center United Nations 10th Floor

Background

Over 200 million girls and women alive today from 31 countries have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and over 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM/C annually. However, even these alarming figures fail to represent the full picture, as they do not take into account countries (particularly in Asia and the Middle East) that do not have national prevalence data on FGM/C. Another report highlights that FGM/C has been reported to occur in 92 countries around the world. 

Despite positive development in the field of elimination of FGM/C in the last few decades,  the Covid-19 pandemic, insecurity, and humanitarian crises in some countries with high prevalence rates, as well as emerging trends, such as medicalization of FGM/C, threaten to roll back progress. In addition, in real terms, numbers are still rising, largely due to global population growth. This is exacerbated by the critical lack of funds available for the end FGM/C sector.

A UNFPA report suggests that It would take $3.3 billion to reach the high-coverage targets by 2030. This would avert 24.6 million cases at an average cost of $134 each. Yet, according  to another report by UNFPA, only $275 million in development assistance will be spent  in 31 priority countries between 2020-2030, leaving a large funding gap. The funding needed does not include other countries where FGM/C is known to take place and which have not traditionally been prioritized, including Asia and the Middle East. 

With this in mind, over one hundred activists, grassroots organisations, international NGOs, and academics gathered at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda to highlight the urgent resourcing need for the end FGM/C sector and launch the Kigali Declaration and the Call for Closing the Funding Gap and Uniting for Action to end FGM/C. 

Aim of the Event

The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C is holding a parallel event at CSW to explore innovative options and call for solutions to close the funding gap. The event objectives will be to:

  1. Highlight the funding gap with an emphasis on the global nature of FGM/C and the funding needs globally.
  2. Share new findings on the landscape of FGM/C funding, identify strategic entry points.
  3. Bring in new stakeholders to commit to funding anti-FGM/C programming, promote dialogue between CSOs, activists and funders and mobilise multi-stakeholder partnerships 
  4. Secure support for a Global Commitment Summit to attract funding to the sector.


2023 KIGALI DECLARATION

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Sign the declaration

‘’From Rhetoric to Reality: Closing the Funding Gap and Uniting for Action to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting’’

Vous pouvez télécharger la version française ci-dessous.

As hundreds of activists, grassroots organisations, international NGOs and academics who gathered at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, we are exercising our collective power to highlight the urgent resourcing need for the End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting sector and launch the Kigali Declaration and the Call to Close the Funding Gap. 

Over 200 million girls and women alive today from 31 countries have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and over 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM/C annually. And this number is on the rise. However, even these alarming figures fail to represent the full picture, as they do not take into account countries (particularly in Asia and the Middle East) which do not have national prevalence data on FGM/C. Another report highlights that FGM/C has been reported to occur in 92 countries around the world.

Despite positive changes in the field of eliminating FGM/C in the last few decades, rapid population growth, insecurity and humanitarian crises in some countries with high prevalence rates, as well as emerging trends, such as medicalization of FGM/C threaten to roll back progress. This is exacerbated by the critical lack of funds to the end FGM/C sector.

¹ According to a joint report by UNICEF and UNFPA, an estimated 2 million additional girls are at risk of being cut over the next decade, bringing the total number of girls at risk to 70 million by 2030. 

The Funding Gap

Adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals target 5.3.2 to end female genital mutilation/cutting by 2030 was an ambitious commitment.  But rhetoric was simply not matched with financial commitments. According to an UNFPA Report, by investing $2.4 billion by 2030 we could end FGM/C altogether in 31 priority countries; and only $95 is required to avert one case of FGM/C. Yet only $275 million in development assistance is available leaving a funding gap of >$2.1 billion. However, the $2.1 billion needed does not include other countries where FGM/C is known to take place and which have not traditionally been prioritized, including in Asia and the Middle East.

Dear World Leaders and Donor Community,

As 2030 is fast approaching, the genuine need to bridge the significant funding gap and implement much-needed interventions to end FGM/C must be embraced with a sense of extreme urgency. Funding must be increased now, and it is essential for investment to come from a variety of sources – from multilateral donors, philanthropy, and the private sector, in addition to domestic resources committed by national Governments.  

Signatories of this letter  are calling on donors, multilateral entities and national governments to:

1. Significantly increase funding towards the end FGM/C sector

Every year, 4 million girls are at risk of being cut. That means 11,000 girls per day. More funders need to resource the end FGM/C sector to protect women and girls’ right to health, to bodily integrity, to freedom from violence and to enjoy their sexuality. How?

• Invest in efforts geared towards ending FGM/C and remodel their traditional funding practices to more effectively support grassroots organisations.

• Prioritize funding for ending FGM/C in national budgets through direct budget allocations and integration of FGM/C into other budgets, such as healthcare, education, etc.

• Expand the funding direction beyond the 31 priority countries to include countries which have not traditionally been prioritised, including in Asia and the Middle East.

• Put in place an accountability system to track the financial commitments with a focus on how much, to who, and in which geographies resources have been allocated.

• Explore new collaboration between traditional donors, private sector, governments and NGOs, particularly around innovative financing mechanisms

2. Shift the funding to grassroots organisations

It has been demonstrated that one of the most effective ways to end FGM/C is to engage the community at a grassroots level.  Despite this, the funding to grassroot organisations remains patchy, short-term and not sustainable. The complexity of accessing funds through a myriad of bureaucratic hurdles and requirements and often for funds that are too short-term in nature is a major challenge  for community organisations. Funding models need to be rooted in the power of purposeful grant-making and best respond to grassroots’ needs ensuring:

●       Sustainable, multi-year funding
●       Funding to support core/administrative costs
●       Flexible funding with simplified requirements for application and reporting
●       Capacity building/strengthening and leadership development support to grassroots organisation to access and manage funds
●       Funding grounded in feminist principles that disrupt the power imbalance and shift the power to women and girls

3. Convene a Global Commitment Summit

The adoption of SDG 5, target  5.3.2 to end female genital mutilation by 2030 placed end FGM/C firmly on the global agenda. However the ambition to end FGM/C by 2030 was not matched with financial commitments.  With less than 7 years left until the  2030 deadline, a critical action is needed to resource the end FGM/C sector. Stakeholders gathered at the Women Deliver End FGM/C Pre-Conference unanimously agree that a Global Summit for increased commitments and investment to achieve the elimination of FGM/C is urgently needed. We need:

●       Champion countries that will drive the efforts to finance FGM/C sector globally, calling for increased investment, efficiency and equity in funding.
●       To act with urgency and convene a Global Commitment Summit during a United Nations General Assembly session or other key UN gathering by 2025 to secure financial commitments and actions needed.
●       The Summit to catalyse the resourcing of end FGM/C work, with needs and priorities of grassroot organisations firmly at its heart.

Now’s the time to #Closethefundinggap

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a global practice that requires a global response. We are in a race against time. Without immediate action and significant increase in funding, there will be millions more girls affected by 2030 and beyond. Failure is not an option anymore. 

ANNEX – WHERE FUNDING IS NEEDED THE MOST

This annex compiles the recommendations that emerged from the WD2023 End FGM/C Pre-Conference thematic collaborative working groups sessions. Therefore, it reflects the views of civil society actors and cross-sectoral stakeholders who work everyday to eliminate FGM/C across the world. The list of stakeholders represented is available at the end. 

1. Thematic Group 1. Change from Within – Achieving FGM/C elimination through grassroots movements

• Work with grassroots organizations, youth-led initiatives and survivors to make funding decisions based on their needs and organizational capabilities. Invest in initiatives to empower survivors by providing them with the needed training, support and opportunities; and to strengthen capacities of grassroots organizations so they can receive the funding.

• Provide direct, long-term, accessible and sustainable funding to grassroots organizations, survivors and youth-led initiatives, particularly solutions that contribute to sustainable change. Learn more about the work done by grassroots organizations and survivor-led groups and trust their ability to deliver programmes by funding them directly without intermediaries. 

• Adjust application processes for funding, as complicated processes end up shutting grassroot organisations out of funding streams. Introduce flexible eligibility criteria and simplified reporting for grassroots organizations and movements working to end FGM/C, which decrease the bureaucratic chains and redtape surrounding funding. Shift thecolonial mindset that still tends to dominate the flow of funding in the anti-FGM/C sector.

2. Thematic group 2. Bridging the Gap – Law and Policy on FGM/C

• Fund initiatives that advocate for comprehensive and holistic laws and policies on FGM/C; as well as those focused on improving implementation, including through promoting safe and effective methods for individuals to report violations of existing legislation. 

• Recognize that FGM/C is a global problem that requires local solutions, and that the survivor-led, grassroots organizations need to be consulted when it comes to the creation of policy and law, as they have the highest rate of success in ending FGM/C in their communities.

• Promote implementation of laws and policies on FGM/C, including ensuring that there is adequate budget for their implementation at local, regional, and national levels Implement effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess implementation of laws and policies and to track spending of budget lines allocated towards ending FGM/C. This also requires funding of research that measures impact and outcomes of existing laws and policies against FGM/C.

3. Thematic Group 3. Harnessing the Power of Youth and the Role of Formal and informal education in ending FGM/C

• Invest in leadership trainings, peer to peer learning forums  and educational and vocational initiatives that address gender inequity and empower girls and women to become financially independent. Support initiatives providing young people with opportunities to receive  mentorship from established NGOs and other stakeholders. 

• Provide funding for programs that will allow for safe and transformative conversations about FGM/C with impacted communities, survivors and young people. Prioritize mental health approaches and programs that will support survivors and create safe spaces to explore the traumatic impact of FGM/C across generations.

• Support programmes that promote intergenerational dialogue and collaboration between established NGOs and youth-led initiatives. Effective intergenerational cooperation can be increased by identifying the hallmarks and shortcomings of each generation, as well as promoting flexibility and adaptability within established NGOs to recognize the need to change methodologies to meet changing times. Such efforts must also encourage youth to innovate and contribute to the anti-FGM/C dialogue and global effort.

4. Thematic Group 4. Evidence, Research, Data-collection – orient action based on evidence

• Allocate resources for data collection and research that will provide realistic estimates of the number of women and girls affected by FGM/C worldwide. This specifically requires investment  in: (i) collecting national prevalence data in countries and regions where FGM/C is known to occur but there is no data available (like Middle East and Asia) and (ii) collecting and utilising subnational/localised data in countries where such data is limited, which hinders the ability to effectively target programs in the most affected areas and populations. 

• Support initiatives to build the evidence base of what works to end FGM/C, including by elevating local level data from grassroots and successess of localised programmes and by building capacity of grassroots organisations to conduct quality evaluations. Address the issue of access of grassroots actors to data and evidence that is not accessible due to a number of factors, including research being predominantly published in English, kept behind academic firewalls or presented with complex language. 

• Support monitoring and evaluation approaches to effectively measure shift in mentalities and attitudes towards addressing FGM/C as this approach is often used by grassroots organizations, survivors and youth-led initiatives. Promote an environment that enables openness and honesty, and allows programs to change directions based on M&E findings of approaches that have not worked. Short-term funding cycles, donor-driven agendas, and resistance to admit when approaches do not work are hindering progress toward better understanding and effectiveness. 

5. Thematic group 5. Emerging Trends: Addressing Medicalization of FGM/C and Cross-border FGM/C

• Be adaptive and responsive to new data and research on FGM/C to shift funding streams and respond quickly to emerging trends.  

• Fund research to understand the impact of climate change, cross-border FGM/C and other intersecting issues on the perpetuation and practice of FGM/C. Go beyond usual funding mechanisms and siloed funding approaches.

• Support the enforcement of policies and guidelines that explicitly prohibit health professionals from engaging in or supporting FGM/C. Effectively addressing medicalization of FGM/C will also require funding projects aimed at addressing the root causes of FGM/C including gender inequality and addressing it as a form of sexual assault; as well as projects that undertake behavioural change for community mobilization to reduce the demand for FGM/C.

Téléchargez le texte de la Déclaration en français ici.

Download the Declaration in English here.

A Joint Letter – Calling for a Global Summit to End FGM/C

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Calling for a Global Summit to end female genital mutilation/cutting

Now’s the time to #Closethefundinggap

Dear World Leaders,

Over 200 million girls and women alive today from 31 countries have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and over 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM/C annually. And this number is on the rise. According to a joint report by UNICEF and UNFPA, an estimated 2 million additional girls are at risk of being cut over the next decade, bringing the total number of girls at risk to 70 million by 2030. These horrific figures are simply unacceptable.

Even these alarming figures fail to represent the complete picture, as they do not take into account a number of countries (particularly in Asia and the Middle East) which do not have national prevalence data on FGM/C. Even before COVID-19 slowed down the progress in eliminating FGM/C, the Sustainable Development Goals target 5.3.2 to end female genital mutilation/cutting by 2030 was already an ambitious commitment.  Rhetoric was simply not matched with financial commitments, and there remains an urgent need for the End FGM/C sector to receive increased and sustained funding. 

As 2030 is fast approaching, the genuine need of bridging the significant funding gap and implementing the much-needed interventions to end FGM/C must be embraced with a sense of extreme urgency. Funding must be increased now, and it is essential for investment to come from a variety of sources – from multilateral donors, philanthropy, and the private sector, in addition to domestic resources committed by national Governments.  

Signatories of this letter, members of the Global Platform for Action to end Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and allies, are calling on donors to invest in efforts geared towards ending FGM/C and remodel their traditional funding practices to more effectively support grassroots organisations, as well as calling on governments to prioritize funding for ending FGM/C work in their national budgets. As part of these efforts, we are calling on world leaders and funders to act with urgency and convene a Global Summit during a United Nations General Assembly session or other key UN gathering by 2025 to secure genuine commitments and actions needed to put an end to this harmful practice. 

The Summit needs to catalyse the resourcing of end FGM/C work, with needs and priorities of grassroot organisations firmly at its heart. Listening to and funding community-based organisations is our only chance of ending this practice.

The Funding Gap 

According to UNFPA Report only $95 is required to avert one case of FGM/C and to protect a girls’ right to health, to bodily integrity, to freedom from violence and to enjoy her sexuality. A relatively small price to pay which pales in comparison with global spending on increasing militarisation (almost $2 trillion per year) and growth based on exploitation of natural resources. By investing $2.4 billion by 2030 we could end FGM/C altogether in 31 priority countries. There is also a need to expand funding beyond the 31 countries which have national prevalence data on the practice; and provide funding for anti-FGM work in countries which have not traditionally been prioritized, including in Asia and the Middle East. 

Yet only $275 million in development assistance is available leaving a funding gap of >$2.1 billion; and these funds are not available proportionately across all countries where FGM/C is known to take place. Grassroots organisations that are at the forefront of prevention efforts have raised their collective voice to urge governments, foundations, private sector, and other donors to urgently increase funding to the FGM/C sector. 

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a global practice that requires a global response. Join the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C in this struggle to uphold basic human rights for women and girls and renew your commitment to end FGM/C globally by convening a Global Summit aimed at sincere commitments and increased sustainable funding. 

We are in a race against time. Without immediate action, there will be millions more girls affected by 2030 and beyond. The Global Summit has to secure the commitments and actions needed to close the funding gap. Failure is not an option anymore. 

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We represent The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C, a consortium of civil society organizations, champions, survivors, and grassroots representatives united in a singular mission: to support the abandonment and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

Funding commitments joint letter.pdf

2022 Progress Report on FGM/C

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Read the report here 

This report has been compiled by members of the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C: Amref Health Africa, Coalition on Violence Against Women, End FGM Canada Network, End FGM European Network (End FGM EU), Equality Now, Orchid Project, Sahiyo, The Girl Generation, The US End FGM/C Network, There Is No Limit Foundation and Tostan.

It represents a joint effort across our respective organisations and regional networks to combine our global expertise, knowledge and partnerships to support efforts to end FGM/C by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This report provides regional progress updates across the key thematic areas of the Secretary General report since the last report in 2020.

Partnerships to Accelerate Global Action to End FGM/C by 2030

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Partnerships to Accelerate Global Action to End FGM/C by 2030

Parallel event

at the virtual 65th Commission on the Status of Women on March 24, 2021
By Bertine Pries, Manager Advocacy, Amref Netherlands

This event was organised by The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C. Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a global concern, practiced in at least 92 countries, which requires a global response. That’s why civil society organizations, activists and survivors from all continents started this Global Platform two years ago during a pre-conference at Women Deliver 2019 to build global collective action to end FGM/C by 2030.

The lively discussion on FGM/C with activists, survivors, professionals and youth from four continents was moderated by Dr. Tammary Esho, Director of the Amref Health Africa End FGM/C Centre of Excellence in Nairobi.

Religion and medicalisation
The first speaker, Atashendartini Habsjah (researcher and advocate focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls) addressed the role of religion and medicalisation in FGM/C in Indonesia. With other women’s health activists she has worked together with religious leaders, doctors and midwives who play a key role in the practice of FGM/C, and are essential stakeholders in efforts to end FGM/C. As a result of their work, Atashendartini and her colleagues have received political commitment from Ministries within the government who published guidelines on FGM/C as harmful practice.

Youth leadership
The power of youth in the global work to end FGM/C was made very clear! Aya Chebbi (pan-African feminist) and Alya Harding (Youth Ambassador for the End FGM European Network) had a lively fireside chat with Aissata Camara (Executive Vice President of There Is No Limit Foundation) about bringing young people to the table. “Facilitate inter generational discussions,” said Alya. Aya also mentioned inter-generational co-leadership: “We want to end this in our generation with the support of other generations. Put young people in leadership positions to do their work in communities and bring decision-makers in the space of young people so they can eventually championing our agenda.”

Malaika Somji, (a co-founder of the End FGM Canada Network when she was 16-years-old) stressed the importance of the role of youth in her passionate talk. “We must continue raising our voices. Our voices are the living expression of human rights. We need to mobilize across the world to advance a world of girls rights for a better future.” She emphasised that it’s about the youth carrying on the conversation and keeping the momentum alive.

Approximately every 10 seconds a girl in the world is subjected to FGM/C
Together we took a minute of silence while showing photos of women and girls who live with the consequences of FGM/C. We have to continue to keep survivors at the forefront of our work to end FGM/C.

Long-term psychological and mental health impact of FGM/C
Maryam Sheik (Kenyan survivor of FGM/C) came to Canada to protect her daughter from FGM/C. She shared her personal experience and highlighted in her TED-style talk the psychological and mental health consequences of the practice. Powerfully, she also reminded us that FGM/C is not a practice required for Muslim girls and women.

Survivor-led advocacy
Mental health was also addressed by psychotherapist Dr. Leyla Hussein (Global Advocacy Director and Deputy Team Leader of the African-led Movement to end FGM/C) and Mariya Taher (Co-Founder and US Executive Director of Sahiyo). “Name and frame the practice as violent and as a sexual assault,” said Leyla. As survivors, they provided insights in survivor-
led advocacy, to support survivors physically, emotionally and mentally and to create a safe space for them.

Silent voices
The meeting ended with an impressive poem written and performed by Josephine Kiaga (filmmaker and advocate from Tanzania).

Global Call to Action
Carey Walovich (Operations & Partnerships Manager for the U.S. End FGM/C Network) did the closing remarks on behalf of the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C and invited all participants to sign up the Global Call to Action. Again, join us!

What an inspirational, passionate and engaging discussion full of expertise and insight. This gathering of advocates showed how impactful and dedicated our community is to ending FGM/C around the world.

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700 civil society organisations & activists signed the joint letter to Generation Equality Action Coalition Leaders

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The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C has joined forces with Girls Not Brides to call on the leaders of the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition on Gender-based Violence (GBV) to commit to ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child, early and force marriage (CEFM). Both FGM/C and CEFM are forms of gender-based violence, and are violations of the human rights of women and girls. They are held in place by discriminatory gender stereotypes and norms that define the limits of a girl’s aspirations, and have devastating consequences and impacts across her life.

Sign-on to the joint letter campaign closed at midnight GMT on 25th November 2020, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

An incredible 625 civil society organisations and 75 activists from across 79 countries raised their voices by signing the joint letter.

Please read and share the final letter using the links below, available in:

English

Español

Français

Joint letter: To the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence

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The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C has joined forces with Girls Not Brides to call on the leaders of the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition on Gender-based Violence (GBV) to commit to ending the harmful practices of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM).

We are calling on organisations to join us in this campaign by adding your organisation’s name to our joint open letter by Wednesday 25th November. The letter and sign-on form is available here in , en , ou en .

With 10 years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda, the Generation Equality Forum provides an opportunity to take stock of progress made on ending GBV and harmful practices and to make a renewed push for accelerated action on  the Beijing Platform for Action and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.3. By standing together to address CEFM and FGM/C we can work towards a a world where women and girls live free from violence and can achieve their full potential.

Let’s ensure Generation Equality is a generation free from harmful practices.

Please share this with your network by retweeting us. The more organisations that sign on to this letter, the louder our voices will be for change.

We hope that you will join us. Together, we can end FGM/C and child marriage.

Sign the letter in English, en , ou en .

Image credit: Orchid Project. A village chief in Kenya, whose community is discussing female genital cutting through the work of COVAW.