Int'l Zero Tolerance for FGM Day: 125 Million Have Been Cut

February 6th marks the UN sponsored International Zero Tolerance for FGM Day.

Thu, February 6, 2014

More than 125 million girls and women have suffered from FGM worldwide, and 30 million more are at risk in the next 10 years. An estimated 20,000 girls in the UK are at risk of FGM each year.
February 6 is the UN's International Zero Tolerance for FGM day. It was first established in 2003 by Stella Obasanjo, the First Lady of Nigeria.

To coincide with this, the British Government, alongside the Guardian and a coalition of advocacy groups has launched a national and international campaign to end FGM. It will be based in London and Nairobi, and it combines political advocacy and lobbying with grassroots action.

The goal of the campaign is to end FGM in a generation. Progress is being made. In 2012 a UN General Assembly resolution called for its eradication, and as of 2013 an estimated 10,000 communities have abandoned the practice.

The British government has launched a series of initiatives as part of the campaign:
Nationally

• All NHS hospitals will be required to report all incidences of FGM they come across and any family history of the practice on a monthly basis. This data will be recorded centrally in order to better monitor at-risk communities.
• £100,000 ($163,000)has been allocated for community initiative, funded in part by the European Commission. Charities will be bidding for up to £10,000, with which they will raise awareness.

Internationally

• The British Department for International Development will coordinate with grassroots activists in Africa and diaspora communities in Britain in order to spread information about the risks and negative effects of FGM on women and girls. They are to invest £35 million ($57 million).
• Increased aid funding to affected countries to combat FGM.
• The campaign will be led by Equality Now's Efua Dorkenoo, and has been backed by British Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker, Public Health Minister Jane Ellison and International Development Minister Lynne Featherstone.

Groups who have joined the British Government's Campaign to End FGM:

• Equality Now – A Human Rights organization working to protect women and girls around the world. It spearheads the Equality Action Network, a network of 35,000 individuals and organizations in 160 countries fighting for gender equality.
• FORWARD – A UK based African women's diaspora charity working for female sexual health and rights in African communities.
• Options Consultancy Services – A health and social sector consultancy firm, specializing in sexual and reproductive health. It works with governments, NGOs and academic institutions, as well as private clients.
• Ogilvy Africa – A communications agency operating in 27 different African countries.
•  Advocacy International – A global consulting company that works for social responsibility and advocates for causes worldwide. Their first case was negotiating a reduction in the national debt of Nigeria.

Alongside the British Government, the Guardian newspaper has joined the campaign and called for British Education Secretary Michael Gove to educate on FGM in schools. They have released a series of articles, videos and a fact sheet explaining the problems associated with FGM and what you can do to help. The campaign is being fronted by 17-year-old Fahma Mohamed from Bristol, who has firsthand experience with FGM and its negative consequences.

They have teamed up with a network of organizations dedicated to combatting FGM including:

• Daughters of Eve
• Integrate Bristol
• Equality Now 
• 28 Too Many 
• Women's Support Project, Glasgow 
• Orchid Project 
• FORWARD UK 
• Desert Flower Foundation 
• Rosa - the fund for UK Women & Girls

A new film, Honor Diaries, made by the Clarion Project in partnership with an interfaith coalition of organizations teaches about FGM and other culture-specific gender violence. It is being released to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8.
You can get involved by:

• Raise Awareness - Share information on FGM with your friends via social media platforms, email, or even word of mouth. Use #endFGM on Twitter.
• Write to your local elected representative - Send a letter to your local congressman or Member of Parliament informing them of the dangers of FGM and call on them to back the international campaign to end FGM.
• Volunteer – Different organizations in different countries are participating in group action to campaign against FGM. Find out what is going on in your area and join in.