GAMCOTRAP celebrates the 3rd Dropping of the Knife in the Gambia and the 1st ever in the Lower River Region

July 6, 2011
The Point


GAMCOTRAP has successfully completed a three year project in the Lower River Region of The Gambia in the campaign to eradicate FGM with constant support from ODAM, a Spanish NGO from Astruria. The outcome of the successful project implemented has resulted to Circumcisers in the region accepting to stop FGM and make a public declaration with their communities.

According to a press release from Gamcotrap, twenty (20) Circumcisers will be celebrated as the “Sheriones Against FGM” on Saturday, 9th July 2011 at Soma, LRR. This will be the third dropping of the Knife celebration organized by GAMCOTRAP since 2007.

In 2008, an Asturian based women’ rights organization, ODAM ONGD, focus on culture and development started partnership with GAMCOTRAP on a three year project titled “Training Information Campaign to Eradicate Female Genital Mutilation.”

Since 2009, over twenty (20) sensitization and advocacy activities have been undertaken under the project period 2009-2011 with support from the chiefs, Area Council, Office  of the Governor, women leaders, community based facilitators and the wider communities in Jarra and Kiang.

The project reached circumcisers and traditional birth attendants, community leaders (Chiefs, Alkalolu and Imams), women leaders, women of reproductive age and youths (male and female) and traditional communicators.

Apart from reaching out to communities in the region, institutions such as the Security and the Local Government Authorities from different Units in the region were also trained on gender based violence and the realization that FGM violates the rights of the child and the bodily integrity of women.

At the institutional level, Local government structures, Coalition of Institutions against FGM and Select Committees on health, and Women and Children also benefitted from the ODAM project.

Through a series of consultations with the Chiefs, women leader and the office of the Governor in the Lower River Region, and twenty Circumcisers from Jarra and Kiang have been trained over the years and their capacity built on Alternative Employment Opportunities in their communities where they can earn income rather than cutting girls in the name of tradition.

Over 1600 people have directly benefitted from the training programmes supported by the Oviedo Council and Axencia Asturiana de Cooperación al Desarrollu (Asturian Agency of Cooperation for Development) through ODAM ONGD in Spain.  This has a multipier effect of reaching at least eight thousand (8,000) people indirectly in the region and has also reached the Spanish citizenship by means advocacy and awareness creation through different campaigns and media coverage.

The project has resulted into awareness about the effects FGM has on women, the rights of women and children, and the realization that culture is dynamic and changes overtime.  The project has also created the opportunity for participants from the six districts of Jarra and Kiang to realize that FGM is not an obligation on Muslim women but a mere traditional practice.  It has been realized that FGM has a negative impact on the sexual and reproductive health of women and they have come to consensus to stop the practice. The project period also created the opportunity for advocacy for a law against FGM.

Local community radio and reporters from different media houses have given full support to the project implementation and GAMCOTRAP would like to thank them for their contributions.

GAMCOTRAP would like to thank the Government of The Gambia for creating the enabling environment for reaching out to the people and empower them with information to make the right choices and decision.

“Also special thanks to UNFPA, Global Fund for Women and the American Embassy Women for Action Project whose support made it possible to reach out to some of the targets the ODAM project could not reach in the Lower River Region. Indeed, thank you ODAM ONGD and Partners in Spain for providing the support and to the people of the Lower River Region for accepting that Together We Can! Join us to celebrate yet another milestone in the protection of girls from FGM in The Gambia.”

A Ceremony Celebrating Change: Abandoning Female Genital Cutting in Guinea

June 24, 2011

Pathfinder International

“From now on, you are one of the great pioneers of ending female genital cutting and soon your example will be followed by other communities,” said Dr. Hawa Toure, a representative of the Minister of State of Social Affairs in Guinea.

On June 5, Dr. Toure delivered the closing speech at a female genital cutting abandonment ceremony in Bissikima, where leaders from 197 Guinean communities gathered in solidarity to declare their rejection of female genital cutting and other cultural practices harmful to the health of mothers and children. Made possible with USAID support, the ceremony was organized by community leaders who wanted to send a public message about the dangers of female genital cutting and the growing movement to end it in Guinea. In total, more than 1,000 people attended the event, including hundreds of community members, former “cutters,” national and local authorities, bilateral and multilateral institutions, and national and international NGOs.

Powerful testimony from community leaders like Mamy Diallo moved the crowd and emphasized the central theme of the ceremony.

 

As a former “cutter” from Sampolia village, Mamy performed genital cutting on girls for nearly 40 years. Accompanied by two other former “cutters,” Mamy pledged her total abandonment of the practice, thanking the community management committees for raising her awareness to the damaging health effects cutting can cause.

For many girls and women, female genital cutting results in severe physical, social, and psychological consequences. Despite growing recognition that the practice is harmful, it remains deeply rooted in Guinean society, with 95 percent of Guinean girls or women having experienced it.

Female genital cutting remains prevalent in many communities, in part, because it is considered a religious obligation. But this is beginning to change.

Sharing his testimony at the ceremony, Imam El Hadj Mamadou Barry explained that female genital cutting is not an Islamic Sunnah, a practice of Prophet Muhammad; and, since cutting causes serious health problems for women, it is appropriate to abandon it. He also added that Islam condemns any act of violence against women.

 

The ceremony ended with a public recitation by all participants of an oath to abandon female genital cutting. Written in both French and Malinké, the oath roughly translates to:

“We solemnly make the decision to permanently abandon female genital cutting—and other harmful traditional practices—to ensure and assert the rights of girls and women to good health and the preservation of their physical integrity and human dignity.”

Ultimately the event inspired and educated, representing a culmination of two years of work by Project ESPOIR, a USAID-funded, Pathfinder-led initiative to reduce and eliminate the practice of female genital cutting in Guinea. Pathfinder joined partners Tostan and Population Services International to build on previously successful female genital cutting reduction programs using Tostan’s community-centered approach to change attitudes about and the practice of female genital cutting.

117 URR communities abandon FGM, other practices

June 14, 2011
Daily Observer
Alieu Ceesay

A total of 117 Fula and Mandinka communities in the Upper River Region (URR) Sunday openly declared they have abandoned Female Genital Mutilation (FGM); and early and forced mariage; among other harmful traditional practices. The declaration ceremony was held at the Basse mini-stadium.

The public declaration was organised under the auspices of Tostan, an NGO that has been operating in
The Gambia since 2006. Tostan works in the area of non-formal education. The occasion was attended by thousands of people among them the governor of URR, Tostan national coordinator, chairman of Basse Area Council, National Assembly member for Jimara District, Tostan regional coordinators for Kolda and Zigunchor, security chiefs and a cross-section of the community.

Speaking at the ceremony, Alhaji AF Jallow, a member of the steering committee applauded Tostan for the great achievement registered in URR since its inception. He acknowledged that the organisation has brought about positive changes in the life of the people. He added that the solemn declaration was a clear indication of Tostan’s unwavering commitment in achieving its mission and vision. Jallow described FGM, early and forced marriage as things that are of great concern and need to stop, considering their long-term negative impacts. He urged the communities to stand by their words, while commending Unicef and the Gambia government for bringing Tostan to the region. Also addressing the gathering, Ello Jallow, from the Office of the Vice President noted that the programme was meant enhance the protection of children’s rights by promoting community efforts to protect such rights.

He told the gathering that harmful traditional practices are a violation of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rights of the Child, which The Gambia is a signatory to.
He stated that the promotion of human rights and responsibilities for women and girls are at the core of the Constitution of the Second Republic under the leadership of President Jammeh. Jallow went on to express Gambia government’s commitment to promoting gender equality and women empowerment as key factors to the attainment of the development agendas of the country.

He acknowledged that Tostan has brought about positive changes in the life of the people of URR, while expressing his office’s readiness to support the cause of the organisation. He thanked Unicef for funding the project in The Gambia, while applauding the communities for finally abandoning the harmful traditional practices. He also thanked the leadership of Tostan and staff for a job well done.

For his part, Alhaji Omar Khan, the governor of URR thanked Tostan, The Gambia government  and Unicef for such a tremendous achievement, saying his region has now graduated from absolute illiteracy to a literate region. The governor acknowledged that Tostan has done a lot for the people of URR, and urged the organisation to extend its operations to other regions. He specially thanked Bakary Tamba, Tostan national coordinator; and Molly Melching, director of Tostan for Africa based in Dakar, for a job well done.
Bakary Tamba described the event as the biggest ever in the anals of Tostan-Gambia. He described the declaration as a clear symbol of Tostan’s stance in changing the lives of the people.

He disclosed that since 2006 Tostan has been conducting training for the communities in the areas of health and hygiene, democracy, human rights, and problem solving process, as well as helping them with micro-finance schemes. Tamba thanked the communities for the déclaration, and further urged them to stand by their words. He finally thanked the Gambia government and Unicef for supporting Tostan, noting that a lot have been achieved since 2006.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Salif Jassey of Unicef, Lamin Dibba of NGOs Affairs and Hammeh Minteh Krubally, the chief of Fulladou East. The ceremony was punctuated by cultural displays by different cultural troupes from URR and Senegal. It was moderated by Essa Kanuteh, Tostan supervisor.

Intensive efforts reap progress towards ending female genital mutilation in Somalia

March 7, 2011
UNICEF
Iman Morooka

HARGEISA, northwest Somalia “Somaliland”: “It is a shame and a disgrace if a girl is uncut. She will be outcast and ostracized from her community”. This is what Ubah Abdillahi believed until she was convinced otherwise by the community education programme aiming to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia.

Ubah Abdillahi, mother of 5 girls and 3 boys, lives in Daami village in Hargeisa. She came to know about a programme run by NGO TOSTAN- supported by UNICEF- aiming to create community awareness around various issues including FGM/C, child rights, hygiene and sanitation, environment and health among others. She started to attend classes offered by the programme and participated in its activities.

“Before participating in this programme, I believed that all girls have to be cut, just like I was cut when I was a young girl. I cut my daughters because I always believed it was good for protecting girls from men. If the girl is not cut, she can’t get married either. This was done to me by my mother and I did the same to two of my five daughters.” said Ms. Abdullahi.

She recalled the pain she had to go through as a child when she had undergone the procedure. “I still remember how I cried of pain, and the problems I faced in urinating and menstruating. When I was giving birth they had to make cuts even sideways for the baby to come out. There are many problems but I didn’t question it [FGM] because it is our culture and tradition.”

According to the most recent statistics (MICS 2006)*, FGM in Somalia is almost universal. 98 per cent of women aged 15-49 have undergone the procedure, with 77 per cent of them subjected to the most severe form.

“I wouldn’t have been able to socialize and have friends if I wasn’t cut. It was considered a disgrace and people would gossip if a nurse wasn’t called to the house for opening the stitching after a woman gets married or for child birth.”

TOSTAN started its community advocacy work in Daami village in 2006 and formed the “Community Management Committee” which played a key role in engaging in discussions with the community and creating awareness on the harms of FGM. After three years of the programme’s inception, the people of Daami village publically declared abandonment of the practice. Ms. Abdullahi was one of the Committee members who were trained by TOSTAN.

“It took me time to understand and accept that circumcision is not good for girls. Even when I joined the programme in TOSTAN, I didn’t commit myself to anything at first. I was just learning about all sorts of things, then I came to realize that FGM is the cause of many health issues like infections. It was explained to me how girls who are not cut don’t have the same health problems during menstruation, intercourse and child birth. I also learned that not all Muslim women are circumcised. I started to believe that it is better not to have my girls cut.”

Ms. Abdullahi became an advocate who spoke out in and outside of her village urging people not to subject their girls to FGM.

Over a year has passed since Daami community declared abandoning FGM in 2009, but the Committee members are still active in their advocacy work. They meet regularly at the classroom provided by TOSTAN to discuss and exchange their experiences and plan joint activities within and outside their village, including writing and performing songs and plays.

So far, a total of 84 communities have been mobilized through this programme in Somalia. Of them, 28 communities including Daami village declared collective abandonment of FGM.

“It [the advocacy work] is not always easy, some people are accepting while others are not.” said Ms. Abdullahi. “I sometimes even have to resolve conflicts between couples, when the husband is opposing to FGM while the wife is still insisting to cut her daughters. I believe that education is very important for people to understand the harms of FGM, and perhaps the fact that men are better educated in our society, makes them more capable of opposing traditional practice.”

For a long time it’s been considered a taboo to discuss a sensitive subject like FGM in public. However change is gradually starting to happen in Somali communities. Ubah Abdullahi is just one of many mothers who have joined the fight against FGM.

Salima: born whole and healthy

February 28, 2011
United Nations Mission in Sudan

In a society where the gross majority of women are forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) during childhood, being uncircumcised often results in ostracism.

Aiming to counter stigmatization by creating a positive term to replace one sounding like a curse, the Salima campaign was initiated in Sudan by the National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW) with UNICEF support.

The campaign – incorporating clearly identifiable, vivid colours in its messaging – pursues a change in society’s stance towards the harmful practice.

Salima means whole, healthy and intact, said Amira Azhari, coordinator of the national program for the abolition of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) at NCCW in Khartoum.

The campaign uses radio spots, community discussions and hundreds of community members signing a tarqa (traditional cloth) to abandon the practice. The goal is to reform a long-ingrained notion that an uncircumcised woman is unclean and worthless.

Calling someone “ya wad el ghalfa” or “you son of an uncut woman” is a harsh insult in Sudan, where according to the 2006 Sudan Household Health Survey, 69.4 per cent of the country’s female population, or almost seven women out of 10, are subjected to FGM.

“It’s a big deal in our communities … FGM is about being a virgin,” said singer Abir Ali at a Khartoum conference on reconstructive surgery for women suffering from detrimental health effects of the most severe form of FGM, called infibulation.

Ms. Ali was donning a Salima-coloured scarf as a campaign ambassador, one of 10 prominent Sudanese chosen to engage the public in discussions about the practice through their work and appearances, and promote its abandonment.

One reason why the practice continues is a traditional conviction that a circumcised woman will remain a virgin and after marriage be faithful to her husband. Basically, it is control over a woman’s sexual desire, noted Ms. Azhari.

She mentioned other reasons, including unfounded beliefs that FGM results in cleanliness and good health, and that the practice is required by Islam.

Some religious leaders, however, argue that no proof can be found for this requirement in the Quran or in hadith, which are interpretations of the words and deeds of Prophet Mohammed.

“Female genital mutilation used to be practiced during pharaonic times more than 3,000 years ago,” observed Ahlam Ali Hassan, professor of Islamic studies at Omdurman Islamic University, adding that FGM stemmed from long before the spread of Islam.

Awareness raising was key in abolishing genital mutilation, Ms. Hassan remarked, adding that imams and religious leaders carried a great role in informing people about its harmful health and social effects.

Educating midwives, who are often also circumcisers, contributes greatly to the cause. They are leaders of rural women, said Ms. Azhari, and having midwives lead discussions about abandoning the practice is as effective as having a Sheikh support the campaign.

Many of them, however, uphold the custom for financial reasons, as FGM practitioners generally make at least 100 Sudanese pounds ($39) plus in-kind gifts for each circumcision. Encouraging midwives to discontinue the practice, Khartoum State Governor Dr. Abdelrahman Alkhidir initiated job placement of 500 midwives in the state’s healthcare institutions last year, according to Ms. Azhari.

The child welfare council began on an ambitious path in 2008 by drafting a national strategy to combat FGM. The strategy, building on six modules – including health, media, law and religion – aims to eradicate the practice in Sudan over the next 10 years or the course of a generation.

However, most Sudanese women still view the issue as private and tend to remain silent.

What is FGM?

Female genital mutilation refers to procedures involving partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia, generally performed in Sudan when a girl is between 8 and 12 years old. The process is often carried out without hygienic tools, thus contributing to infections and the spread of diseases, including hepatitis and HIV.

Besides the psychological trauma it causes, FGM can lead to a wide array of ailments, including excessive bleeding, chronic urinary tract obstruction/bladder stones, urinary incontinence, infertility, painful menstruation, obstructed labour and increased risk of bleeding and infection during childbirth. (Source: UNICEF)

The Effectiveness of Public Declarations

February 14, 2011- February 21, 2011
INTACT Network Online Discussion Forum
Topic: “Public declarations: How effective are they in mobilizing communities against FGM/C?”

The key points and lessons learned from this discussion are:

• Public declarations are a useful tool to accelerate abandonment of FGM. They create a sense of collectiveness and togetherness which empowers individuals to publicly declare that they have abandoned FGM and encourages others to follow.
• The timing of making public declarations is crucial. When PDs are made after enough people (men, women, girls, community leaders) have decided to abandon FGM, the community abandonment would be stable. Public declarations by community leaders or excisors alone are often not taken seriously by the community.
• Public declarations are more likely to be respected if they come as a result of a consensus building process that includes awareness raising, dialog, human rights education, economic and community empowerment. To minimize recidivism, PDs should be accompanied by other strategies like community development, media involvement and political support to create an enabling environment.
• Public declarations are not an end but a beginning of more open discussion about FGM and a milestone that signifies readiness for change.

To view the full discussion click here.

Two Districts in Northern Ethiopia Declare an End to Female Genital Cutting

January 25, 2011
UNICEF Television
Chris Niles


UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on commitments in two districts of northern Ethiopia's Afar Region who declared to end the practice of female genital cutting.

For more information, please visit: http://www.unicef.org

Senegalese Villages Abandon Female Circumcision

November 30, 2010
AFP

KOLDA, Senegal — Seven hundred villages on Sunday declared an end to female circumcision and forced marriages in the southern province of Kolda where the rate of practice is the highest in Senegal.

After a march by nearly 3,000 people from the region bearing signs and other effigies denouncing the rites, a colourful ceremony took place with traditional music, dancing and theatre.

Young girls from the region dressed in pink wraparound skirts and bright headdresses performed for the crowd "to show how important it is to the young girls that these practices be abandoned," said Molly Melching, head of the Tostan NGO.

The public denunciations come after extensive work by the government and non-governmental organisations in communities to encourage an end to the cultural or religious practice of deliberately mutilating female genitalia.

Tostan has been working in Senegalese villages for over a decade, spreading their work to countries in the region, giving education on human rights and health which allow villagers to "take their own decision" on the practice.

"The program includes men and their human rights so they understand also that this is about achieving the well-being and health and a better life for everyone in the community," Melching explained in a telephone interview from Kolda.

"It is not about fighting tradition, it is about helping people achieve the goals they have set."

Some 4,500 out of 5,000 communities have already declared an end to the practice in Senegal, which still persists despite female circumcision being declared illegal over a decade ago.

In Kolda, the rate of practicing the centuries-old practice of female genital mutilation was 94 percent, the highest in the whole country, says Melching.

"There is a very big declaration (of abandonment) of the whole department of Kolda for 700 communities. Many of these communities have already made a declaration before, but now they are all coming together with new communities" to declare an end to the practice.

Delegations from Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia and other regions of Senegal attended the celebrations.

"It is a beautiful ceremony," said Melching.

According to UNICEF, the practice is a deeply entrenched social convention which millions of girls in Africa are subjected to every year, with religious beliefs cited even though it is not prescribed by any religion.

Tostan believes that with this kind of pressure it is important for entire communities to abandon the practice, to prevent stigma between villages on girls who are not cut and face becoming outcasts.

In Senegal, two types of excision are prevalent, according to a US State Department report.

These include just the removal of the clitoral hood, with or without removal of the clitoris, or the most extreme kind: excision of part or all of the external genitalia and the stitching of the vaginal opening to allow only for the flow of urine and menstrual blood.

Female genital cutting leads to severe pain, infections, shock, hemorrhage, infertility and can cause massive problems during childbirth.

In July government reported the practice stood at 28 percent. Senegal aims to eliminate the practice completely by 2015.

Abay’s Return: Defying the Tradition of Female Genital Cutting

September 10, 2010
Cancer Type: Cancer Research and about help

Abay, an Ethiopian woman who bravely refused to undergo female genital cutting at age 8, became a driving force for change in her community and shed light on the damaging practice. Visit www.care.org to learn more and find out how you can get involved.

Bignona Departmental Public Declaration

April 30, 2010
By TostanDC

April 24, 2010 proved to be a remarkable day for the region of Ziguinchor, in south-western Senegal, as 330 villages of the Bignona department gathered to publicly announce their decision to abandon the traditions of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage. This is the fourth departmental declaration in Senegal, bringing the number of communities that have abandoned FGC to a total of 4229 since 1997. This declaration represents a significant step towards Senegal’s goal of complete abandonment of FGC by 2015, and represents a landmark in Tostan’s work in the region of Ziguinchor.

Click here to read more about the declaration and about Tostan’s work in the area.

Senegal’s First Region-Wide Declaration of FGC and Child/Forced Marriage Abandonment: Communities in Kédougou Accelerate Towards Goal of Total Abandonment by 2015

February 25, 2010
By Tostan

KÉDOUGOU, Senegal, 19 February 2010—256 villages from the region of Kédougou gathered on Sunday, February 21, to announce and celebrate their historic decision to abandon the harmful traditions of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage. In this first region-wide declaration in Senegal, 108 villages publicly declared their abandonment of FGC and child/forced marriage for the first time, alongside 148 additional villages that confirmed their continued commitment to the promotion of the rights and health of women and girls.

In spite of the intense heat, roughly 2,500 people travelled from through-out the region to attend the day-long celebration in the Municipal Stadium in the town of Kédougou. Amongst other government officials, religious and community leaders in attendance, the Minister of Communication and Ndeye Khady Diop, Minster of the Family, National Solidarity, Food Security, Female Entrepreneurship, Microfinance and Infancy, flew to Kédougou from Dakar especially for the ceremony. Also present were the Mayor and Governor of the Kédougou Region and the Chief District Officer from the Department of Mali, Republic of Guinea who accompanied representatives from Guinean communities abandoning these practices along with their extended family networks.

Representing the 108 declaring villages, three young girls from the youth network of the region, including Hassatou Boubane, President of the network, read the declaration of abandonment in Manding, Pulaar, and French. Youth and dance groups entertained the crowds with sketches explaining their reasons for wanting to abandon FGC, as well as dance and music.

The declaration in Kédougou followed just two days after the launch of Senegal's National Action Plan for the Abandonment of FGC 2010-2015, which was launched at a ceremony in Dakar on Friday, February 19th and represents a significant step towards the Government’s goal of complete abandonment of FGC in Senegal by 2015.

According to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), over 57% of the Pulaar, Mandinka, Djalonké, and Bassari communities in the Kédougou region practice FGC and/or child/forced marriage.

Since October 2007, 50 villages in Kédougou have participated directly in the Tostan Community Empowerment Program (CEP). An additional 211 villages in Kédougou and neighboring Guinea and Mali have been sensitized to issues of human rights, health, hygiene and the risks of FGC through outreach activities such as community-run radio programs, part of the community communication strategy that Tostan calls "organized diffusion."

Amongst the 211 villages reached, 41 of these communities are located in Guinea and 10 are in Mali. This collective and cross-border decision to abandon FGC and child/forced marriage was made possible through the organization of international community meetings in 2009.

Tostan has been engaged in the region of Kédougou since 2002, where declarations have taken place twice before in Tomborokonto and Salémata. With the support of UNICEF, the Government of Senegal, and community and religious leaders, all communities of the region of Kédougou will now join the historic movement for the abandonment of FGC and child/forced marriage started by the women of the village of Malicounda Bambara in 1997.

Since 1997, a total of 4,229 villages (84%) in Senegal that traditionally practiced FGC and child/forced marriage have publicly declared their decision to abandon these harmful practices, a number which has led to claims that Senegal will be the first country to totally abandon FGC.

The declaration was preceded by a press panel on Saturday, February 20, in Fadiga, two kilometers from the town of Kédougou. Press had the opportunity to learn about both the processes behind the historic declaration as well as other community-led successes amongst villages participating in and reached through the Tostan CEP.

Ending Female Genital Cutting in Guinea

April and May 2009 Two related videos on Ending FGC in Guinea by Plan International Tv.

More URR communities abandon FGM/C

December 24, 2009
By Amat Jeng Alieu Jamanka - Today, The Gambia Quality Newspaper

Communities in the Upper River Region continue to abandon harmful traditional practices, as 24 more Mandinka communities have ‘dropped the knife’ at a ceremony held in Tumana-Kantora, URR.

The event, organized by TOSTAN saw the Sotuma Kantora steering committee of the Tumana-Kantora zone in URR declare that they now realize and understand that some of their traditional practices and customs are inimical to the health and well being of women and girls.

Reading the declaration on behalf of the steering committee, Abdourahman Fatty, a member of the committee, said most of the communities have participated in the joint programme of UNICEF-TOSTAN and The Gambia government’s community empowerment programme.

He said over 20 communities in Basse-Jimara, Tumana and Kantora respectively; including the adopted ones, have united to openly and unconditionally put a stop to FGM and child/forced marriage. This declaration, he added, does not come as a coincidence, but as a result of a comprehensive three year holistic community programme spearheaded by TOSTAN facilitators.

This programme includes social mobilization and sensitization activities by the team, the communities and the Community Management Committee (CMC) members, on issues affecting health and the personal well being of women and girls.

“After evaluating both the positive and negative effects of the practices, often with careful observations, discussion and dialogue with the community members, and local and influential leaders, the 24 communities have decided to openly and willingly declare the abandonment of harmful cultural practices of female genital cutting, and child and forced marriage,” he said.

Speaking further, Fatty acknowledged that TOSTAN’s Community Empowerment Project (CEP) is not only focusing on female genital cutting, but the programme takes a holistic approach to community led sustainable development, covering issues such as democracy, good governance, human rights, problem solving as well as health and hygiene and literacy.

He maintained that the regular cleansing exercise, initiated by the participating communities and their adopted villages, is a step in the right direction which consolidates the initiatives of the President in ensuring that people live in a clean environment.

He also acknowledged the active participation of all stakeholders, whose moral support has contributed to the success of the programmes TOSTAN has been embarking on.

He acknowledged further the support UNICEF has been rendering to the initiative over the past years.

While he said sustainability is the ultimate goal of the project and programmes, he also added that the CMC of Sotuma has had its capacity bolstered by TOSTAN and therefore is committed in sustaining the benefits already derived from the joint project of UNICEF-TOSTAN and GoTG.

He finally called on other CMC, VDCs, CSOs and all other development partners to collaborate in order to ensure that projects and programmes are sustained by themselves after any direct intervention.

In his statement, Bakary Tamba TOSTAN country coordinator, hailed the women of URR for their commitment and passion. He said TOSTAN is employing a bottom-up approach with holistic and polite measures to sensitise the community members whose participation in the programme has ensured its success.

According to Tamba, TOSTAN is not applying any coercive force to make women abandon FGM, but has put forward tangible reasons for their abandonment.

He said among these reasons is the unhygienic way in which the act is carried out. “TOSTAN’s success story is a credit to the community as a whole and the organization’s facilitators,” he concluded.

Mawdo Susso, Regional Youth Chairman, spoke about the need to improve livelihoods, especially at the local level. He praised TOSTAN for creating employment for youth in The Gambia and appealed to the Government and UNICEF to continue their support for TOSTAN, as he said the NGO has created employment for the good of young men and women in the region and The Gambia at large. He noted that these employment opportunities are also in line with the objectives of the PRSP.

Mba Sawaneh of Kantora, speaking on behalf of the district head, expressed delight at the unique approach TOSTAN is employing. He cited an example of a prominent circumciser who decided to reject the practice due to the intensive training she received from TOSTAN.

Bolong Sano, the alkalo of Simoto prayed for the sustainability of the project. He described TOSTAN as an integral part of their livelihoods.

Hulay Bah, an ex-prominent circumciser condemned the practice of FGM/C, early/forced marriage. She said ever since she was a mature girl she had been practicing FGM but thanks to the timely intervention of TOSTAN and its partners, which she said had made her aware of the drawbacks of the practice, she decided to cease and desist from doing it.

158 Villages in the Department of Koungheul Join the Movement to Abandon Harmful Traditional Practices

November 20, 2009 Total Number of Communities Publicly Declaring Abandonment in Senegal Reaches 4,121 KOUNGHEUL, Senegal, 15 November 2009 - 4,121 communities have now joined the growing social movement of villages in Senegal to promote the human rights, health, and well-being of community members by committing to put an end to the harmful traditional practices of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage.

On Sunday, 158 communities met in the town of Koungheul, Kaolack to publicly declare the historic decision of the whole department of Koungheul to abandon FGC and child/forced marriage. Their declaration brought the movement to abandon FGC in Senegal to a total of 4,121 villages - a figure which has led UNICEF to suggest that Senegal will be the first country to completely abandon the practice.

Organized by members of the Fulani, Mandinka, Bambara, and Kognaji ethnic groups, the 4-hour declaration event was attended by over 2,000 people. The declaration statement itself was read inFrench, Mandinka, Fulani, and Wolof by adult and adolescent female participants in the Tostan program.

Many national press and media representatives were in attendance as well as international media representatives, including a film crew from the US/Canada. A number of youth and community groups performed skits, dances and songs on the themes of FGC and child/forced marriage, marking the significance of the collective decision. Community members also organized a meal to celebrate and close the event.

Speaking at the event, the Prefet of Koungheul expressed his wish for the Tostan program to be implemented in other departments of Senegal:

…the difference between Tostan villages and other villages is astronomical – there is a big difference concerning health, education, and state of the villages. I, as the Prefet, have seen it myself.

In collaboration with UNICEF and the Government of Senegal, Tostan has implemented its CEP among Wolof and Mandinga communities in the department of Koungheul since 2004. It expanded the program to Fulani communities in 2007. During the 30-month program, the participating communities completed modules in democracy, human rights, problem-solving, hygiene and health, as well as literacy, math, and management skills.

Nafissatou Ba, CEP facilitator in the village of Jam Koode explained that the classes focus on learning through dialogue around important issues among adults and adolescents. In addition to the classes, communities organized social mobilization activities to raise awareness and involve neighboring communities in their discussions. These included events organized by local community representatives, youth activities, meetings to share information on the harmful effects of FGC, and radio programs hosted by participants and facilitators on the communal radio of Koungheul.

The declaration in Kougheul, which comes just one week after a declaration of 404 communities in Bounkling in the southern region of Senegal, resonates with a report released earlier this month by theInternational Center for Research on Women. The report, titled Innovation for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality names the Tostan and community-led movement to abandon FGC in Senegal as one of the eight most creative and catalytic innovations to have promoted women's empowerment and gender equality in the past century.

When asked why they decided to hold a departmental public declaration, Maimouna Ba, CMC Coordinator in the village of Jam Koode, responded, “This declaration is our child. It is our decision and we would have held the declaration with or without Tostan’s support. We must remind everyone why we decided to abandon FGC and child/forced marriage. This is our child.”

Souleymane Mboup, Mayor of Koungheul, stressed that the departmental declaration not only confirms intentional changes in traditional practices, but also serves as a means for communicating the reasons behind the participants’ decision. “This is a cultural festival designed to reach everyone. Communication and awareness-raising [activities] are the key.”

The participating communities held a press conference to precede the eventon Saturday, November 14, in the village of Diam Codé, located 18 kilometres from Koungheul. The public declaration itself took place the following day in the center of the town of Koungheul. Over 2,000 community members, local leaders, including the Governor of Kaffrine, the Prefet of the department of Koungheul, the sub-prefets of Missirah, parliamentarians, local representatives, and religious leaders in the department attended the ceremony.

Also in attendance at the declaration was a delegation of 17 Ugandans who traveled to Senegal to learn about the Tostan program. The delegation included community leaders, members of parliament, government representatives, journalists, and NGO representatives. The Ugandans said they had never witnessed entire networks of intra-marrying communities coming together to collectively make important decisions like this. Paolina Chepar, a village leader from the region of Pokot in Eastern Uganda, noted "This program gives ownership of development to the people themselves. Tostan reaches out to the poorest, most marginalized communities and brings them together in unity and peace to organize for the future. Where trust flourishes, true development can occur."

Campaign against female cut in Transmara

November 30, 2009 By NTVKenya Campaigners are intensifying their efforts against female genital mutilation FGM in Maasai-land where the practice of female initiation remains common. In Transmara District, campaigners managed to take more than 100 girls through alternative rights of passage in a campaign that also sought to change the hearts and minds of the conservative community leaders.

Female circumcision: "Europe should learn from Africa"

November 27, 2009 By Helen Michaud, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep

Nine villages in Mali ban female circumcision, and celebrate this in a solemn ceremony; a future bride in Ethiopia proclaims in public that she and her fiancé are happy that she has not been circumcised.

More and more men and women in Africa are saying ‘no” to the genital mutilation of their daughters, as a result of effective local interventions that have helped break ancestral taboos.

The incidence of female genital mutilation (FGM) is even regressing in Ethiopia, Guinea, Niger and Sudan, says Berhane Ras-Work, who has been fighting it for the past 25 years. Berhane Ras-Work is the Executive director of the Inter-African Committee (IA) on traditional practices, based in Addis Ababa. "I'm salima"

In Sudan, women are taking a positive approach to the phenomenon. Nafisa Nedri refuses to say that she is “not circumcised”. Instead, she says ‘I’m salima”. Her 19-year old daughter is salima too. Salima means “whole, intact” in Arabic.

“I fought for my daughter. I had to take a very strong stance and teach her to do the same whenever she’s bullied or called names because she’s not circumcised,” says Ms. Nedri.

Wearing stunning red, green and yellow shawls, their message is to celebrate the beauty of the female body left intact. Members of the "salima" campaign joined an international conference on FGM this week in the Netherlands.

“Salima is born, she has been created from the Nile water. Salima is a beautiful, happy girl with a smile. She’s the future, ” their theme song goes. 89% of girls in Sudan undergo genital mutilation

Similarly, in Mali, abolitionists dress up young girls in beautiful traditional attire to celebrate the fact that they have remained untouched by the blade, though the battle is far from won. In Sudan, mainly in the North, about 89% of girls are at risk; in Mali, the rate is 85%.

FGM is illegal in 17 African countries and in Europe, although the legislation is rarely enforced. With its important migrant communities, Europe is also trying to come to grips with this practice, with the help of Diaspora organisations. Diaspora organisations Diaspora groups, in order to affirm their identities, sometimes hold on to traditional practices that are slowly being abandoned in their countries of origin. Sometimes, because of exposure to other cultures, they are more progressive than those "back home ".

Dutch Deputy health minister Jet Bussemaker, hosting the international delegates at the conference, said that European countries have much to learn from effective campaigns against the genital mutilation of girls in Africa. "The immigrants here should learn about what is happening in their country of origin, in Africa, and that would help them in saying "no" here as well. That’s why I side with my colleague Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation, to improve this exchange. And then we, in the Netherlands, should ensure that other European countries join in too." The ministers intend to visit Africa next year to examine successful initiatives. Likewise, anti-FGM campaigners in Africa hope they can count on the support of European countries. "You should put more pressure on our leaders, says Berhane Ras-Work. Sometimes they listen more to you than to us".

With A Vision of Human Dignity for All, 404 Communities in Bounkling, Senegal Announce Abandonment of Female Genital Cutting

November 11, 2009

SEDHIOU, BOUNKLING Senegal, 8 November 2009 - Members of Mandinka, Fulani, Bainunk and Diola ethnic groups from 404 Villages in the Department of Bounkling, in the Casamance region of Senegal, came together on Sunday to publicly declare their abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) and child forced/marriage in the interest of the health and wellbeing of their communities. For 232 of the villages, this was their second declaration of abandonment and represented their continued commitment to completely abandon the practices and to advocate their abandonment amongst neighboring communities in their department, the region of Sedhiou, in Senegal, and worldwide. On the eve of the event, villagers gathered in the rural community of Inor for a press conference. Speakers included the Imam of Inor, the village chief, the coordinator of the Community Management Committee (CMC), a representative of the department school inspector’s office, the president of the rural community of Inor, the national coordinator of Tostan, the local health representative, and the mayor of Inor. Journalists from Le Soleil Newspaper of Zuiguinchor asked questions about the department’s decision and the work Tostan had done in collaboration with the communities of the area. Colorfully dressed delegations energized the crowd with lively songs and dances. The declaration itself drew some 2,000 participants: those present at the press panel the previous evening as well as community leaders of the department of Bounkiling, Tostan regional delegations, representatives from numerous rural communities, and the head of local literacy projects. Groups from neighboring villages also attended, many representing the unity of their villages through matching outfits and others dressed in their finest boubous (traditional African dress). The declaration was celebrated with several performances including one by Mr. Vieux Kanoute on the traditional Senegalese guitar, the kora, music and dancing by Kolda, Tambacounda, and Ziguinchor youth groups; a skit by the youth group of Kegneto, the musical group of Bodnna, and music and dancing in traditional costumes the community of Ouonck. The declaration itself was read to the crowd in each of the local national languages (Mandinka, Fulani, Bainunk, and Diola) as well as in French. Adolescent Marième Cissé read the declaration in Fula. In closing, the prefect of Bounkiling firmly reminded the department of Bounkiling of their own duty: “We must all contribute to the follow-through of this declaration.”

In collaboration with the city of Madrid and l’Agence Espagnole de la Coopération Internationale (AECI), Tostan has implemented it’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in the Casamance region (communautés casamançaises fogni) over a period of 30-months. Through this partnership, over 1,130 people from the region have directly benefited from the Tostan program and at least 11,300 people have benefited through social mobilization activities. For the 60 participating communities, the declaration represented the efforts of over three years of social mobilization activities and outreach – including the coordination of weekly radio programs, inter-village, generational and neighborhood meetings, marches, and much more.

13 villages in The Gambia say No! to FGC

Manneh Kunda, October 25
By Tostan
On Sunday, 13 Mandinka villages from the Upper River Region (URR) of The Gambia joined a growing movement in the country and in East and West Africa as they publicly declared their abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage.

The declaration signaled the commitment of all 13 villages to abandon these and other harmful practices in order to promote and protect human rights. It was also a call to other Mandinka communities in The Gambia, West Africa, and diaspora communities worldwide, to join them in abandoning these practices.

The village of Manneh Kunda, approximately three kilometers from Basse, the largest town in the eastern-most part of the country, hosted the declaration event which was attended by hundreds of people. In attendance were government officials, the Director of the Women's Bureau, the UNICEF Representative for the URR, other NGOs, neighboring villages, and religious and traditional leaders from the URR.

The program included singing, dancing, and skits that depicted the reasoning behind this collective decision all performed by the URR National Troop and local youth groups celebrating the declaration. There were also several guest speakers, including local UNICEF Representative, Mariama Sabally, who spoke about Tostan’s respectful and non-judgmental approach, noting that it had enabled Tostan to succeed in shifting a deeply ingrained social tradition.

Yayhu Bangura, a local religious scholar instrumental in the social mobilization campaign that led to this declaration, reiterated that FGC is not a part of the Islamic faith and called on people present to help spread this information. Two former cutters from villages taking part in the declaration also testified, sang, and danced at the event. One woman explained how through Tostan she had come to understand that the health problems experienced by some girls, including death, were caused by the cutting rather than by witchcraft. Based on this information and her involvement in the Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP), she voluntarily gave up cutting.

Closing the event, Regional Governor Yadi Nget expressed his support for the Tostan program and the declaration. He thanked the community members and Tostan, emphasizing in particular that the CEP teaches communities how to solve their own problems and explaining that this fosters and facilitates peace in the region.

Breaking the Silence in Guinea

April 2009

Historic Pledge Against Female Genital Cutting in Somalia

In the Northeast zone of Somalia where female genital cutting (FGC) is almost a universal practice, a public pledge to abandon FGC is making history .

According to Tostan, an organization whose mission it is to "empower African communities to bring about sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights", 14 villages in Puntland became the first group of communities in the region to agree to abandon the practice of FGC.