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Breaking the Silence: Why We Must Keep Talking About FGM

‍Author: Sarah Jose, (Volunteer at NESTAC)

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FGM Zero Tolerance Day: 6th February 2025

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains a deeply entrenched cultural practice and public health concern with consequences for women and girls. While legislation plays a crucial role in its eradication, recent Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) studies foreground the need to move toward greater collaboration and co-production with affected communities with a focus on empowerment-driven approaches that forestall alienation (Ali et al., 2020; Plugge et al., 2018).

The Power of Women-Led Advocacy

“Women-led organisations, especially at the local and grassroots level, have an in-depth understanding of the challenges that women and girls face and vital resources on how to advance their rights.” (2023 Annual Report of FGM Joint Programme: Addressing Global Challenges with Local Solutions to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation, 2023) By fostering community-driven solutions, organisations like NESTAC can create sustainable change, ensuring that advocacy efforts are both impactful and culturally sensitive. As such, Sarah Malik, cross-cultural psychotherapist and FGM Coordinator for Greater Manchester, led a special wellbeing group session on February 6th 2025 in observance of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Zero-Tolerance Day. The session provided a safe space for education and reflection, reaffirming the ongoing commitment to ending FGM and underscoring the need for consistent advocacy.

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What We Stand for?

Attendees were encouraged to reflect on their experiences and issues most important to them. Two key themes emerged:

• Equality & Human Rights: Many reflected on the state of women’s rights in their home countries and the urgent need to dismantle systems and practices that perpetuate inequality.

• Education & Outreach: Attendees expressed a strong desire to participate in more awareness sessions, emphasising the necessity of increased outreach and educational campaigns to inform and empower women.

The wellbeing group also addressed common misconceptions about FGM, challenging the idea that it is only practiced in Africa and the Middle East. Instead, they highlighted that FGM is a universal issue, with documented cases in Asia, Latin America, and among diaspora communities in Western Europe, North America, and Australia (Dixon et al., 2018).

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Moving Forward

Long-term members reflected on previous sessions and reiterated the need for continuing dialogue, support, and advocacy. The value of these gatherings was summed up simply by one attendee:

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"It is a very good opportunity as a woman"

FGM Zero Tolerance Day is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s a global call to action, to come together in solidarity. NESTAC has responded to this call through initiatives like SOS (Save Our Sisters) Clinic and the Guardian Project. These programs provide trauma-informed and culturally competent support to women, girls, and families affected by or at risk of FGM. By empowering individuals with knowledge, resources, and a supportive community, these initiatives help women reclaim their power and agency.

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