2024-ben is folytatódik a Lányok Ügye programunk
In 2022, our awareness campaign focused on women and schoolgirls. This year, we were aiming to educating men and dispelling the misconception that female genital mutilation is a requirement of the Islamic faith.
Mali is a deeply religious country, and men do not have the same supportive communities as women, making it more difficult to reach them. The only solution is to work through our local partner, the Sini Sanuman organization, and reach out to enlightened religious leaders. To this end, we are organizing a religious symposium in Mali, focusing on reaching out to male communities with the help of enlightened leaders.
What is FGM?
Female genital mutilation involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia. FGM is an extremely dangerous procedure that can cause severe pain, excessive bleeding, fever, infections, problems with urination and wound healing, shock, death, and later complications such as cysts and complications during childbirth. It also causes serious emotional trauma, associated with the painful procedure or later complications, and painful sexual life. Our awareness campaign is based on exposing the health consequences and interrelations.
What can we do?
Close to Africa Foundation is committed to reducing violence against women, child marriage, and mutilation in the Sansfil slum. We are conducting our campaign through a local organization because we do not want to approach the Sansfil community with the superiority of white civilization. Mali is changing, many people already oppose and even feel ashamed of this and the state has enacted laws requiring awareness campaigns against FGM. (Even though it does not manifest in the reaity)
Who is our local partner?
Sini Sanuman, or "Healthy Tomorrow" an organization that has been successful in Mali since 2002 in reducing FGM and violence against women. The organization works with a program based on 20 years of detailed experience to reduce FGM. Their method is to focus on one community at a time, working otgether with all levels of society, from political leaders to local women who perform FGM (excisors), managing awareness-raising work through meetings, personal conversations, workshops, radio, and billboard advertisements.
Mit értünk el a Sansfil nyomornegyedben?
- Sini Sanuman has also launched a new project (SWEDD; Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend) where they work on preventing FGM through media and personal meetings and provide medical assistance to 100 women who have suffered the most severe health consequences of FGM.
- One of the two women who performed FGM in the slum has already given up this practice, which is "putting down the knife." The other woman is also showing signs of desire to quit, but the community is reluctant to allow her to do so."
- Nine out of the ten assistant excisors in the neighborhood have taken a vow not to participate in excision anymore.
- Sini Sanuman új projektet is indított (SWEDD; Sahel Womens empow., Demographic dividend.) Ahol a médián és személyes találkozásokon keresztül az FGM megelőzésén dolgoznak, valamint orvosi segítséget nyújtanak annak a 100 nőnek, akiknél az FGM legsúlyosabb egészségügyi következményei merültek fel.
- Sini Sanuman has set up new billboards in Bamako, attracting more attention to the harmful effects of excision.
- An ex-excisor now makes a living from pottery.
*Excisor: a person who performs FGM, usually an older woman who performs the excision and lives off the earnings gained from it
Additonally, we have held several informative lectures in Hungary about excision, taboos, and cultural differences
How can you help?
Támogasd a lányok ügyét egyszeri vagy rendszeres adományoddal!
The awareness campaign, radio and bill-board advertising costs money.
Any donation, regardless of size is appreciated! Thanks to our sponsors, we have been able to finance three months of a six-month program for the Bamako Women's Center for the necessary education of Bamako's girls and women!
We await your support on the following account number:
Close to Africa Foundation, MagNet Bank: 16200010-10097432,
IBAN HU61 1620 0010 1009 7432 0000 0000.
Comments: girls cause / FGM Zero Tolerance
If you want to transfer in Euros, our account number is:
Close to Africa Foundation, ERSTE Bank,
IBAN: HU32 1160 0006 0000 0000 9992 4582
Comments: girls cause / FGM Zero Tolerance
We sincerely thank you for your help! You can follow our Girls' issue/FGM zero tolerance project on our Facebook page or through our newsletter, which you can subscribe to here: https://kozelafrikahoz.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=98b97a702514ffec36e352784&id=2ba5b4d50a
