Girls' Cause

What is the “Girls’ Cause”? 

Our "Girls’ Cause" program is the name of our campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM or excision). This barbaric practice still affects 200 million women worldwide today, primarily in Africa, but not exclusively there. It is one of the most violent manifestations of patriarchy, aimed at taking away a woman’s sexual pleasure. The cutting is performed either in early childhood (around 5–6 years old) or during adolescence (around 15–16 years old), depending on the ethnic group.  

Why do we call it that?  

Excision is surrounded by a very strong taboo — neither the girls talk about it among themselves, nor within families, and men do not discuss it either. As outsiders, especially as white people, we do not have the right to interfere with a community’s customs. We didn’t attempt to do so until we discovered a local organization, Sini Sanuman, which has been committed to educating its own people for 20 years. Our role is to provide financial support for awareness campaigns, for which we needed a cover name. The actual work is carried out by our partner, the local aid organization Sini Sanuman. 

Where did we start..? 

Our foundation has been working for over 10 years in the Sansfil district of Bamako, helping the poorest children attend school. As the girls we supported grew up, we were confronted with the painful realization that all of them had undergone female genital mutilation. Previously, there was no awareness or education about this topic in the area. The beliefs surrounding the necessity of the practice were shocking. For example, some common responses included: "I won't be able to have children if I'm not cut." "I'll chase after every man if I'm not cut." "God commands that I be cut." "This is our tradition. That's why I will have my daughter cut too." There was no understanding of the connection between excision (the mutilation) and health problems. Since it wasn’t possible to talk about the topic openly, we gathered information by having people fill out anonymous health-related questionnaires. 

Reading these responses left us deeply disheartened, and we began searching for a way to bring about change. We reached out to several local organizations and artists, and eventually, a chance glimpse of a billboard led us to the Sini Sanuman organization in Bamako.  

Who or what is Sini Sanuman? 

The phrase "Sini Sanuman" comes from the local Bambara language and means "For the Health of Tomorrow." This reflects the organization’s approach, which primarily focuses on health. Their awareness-raising conversations mainly address the health complications of excision and emphasize the standpoint that this practice is not a religious requirement, and therefore can—and should—be abandoned.  

Sini Sanuman 's poster on the streets of Bamako that caught our attention. 

The organization is over 20 years old and is led by a local man, Siaka Traoré, whose own mother was an excisor. Over the past two decades, they have reached hundreds of thousands of people across Mali, and have successfully supported 63 communities in publicly declaring a ban on female genital mutilation. Their campaigns in each community often last for months or even years, and are carried out by trained local educators and religious leaders. The Close to Africa Foundation is supported by private donorsfor funding the campaigns.  

Signing our agreement with Sini Sanuman. 

Women's group

We greatly need your support to continue our work!  

We welcome both regular and one-time donations for our Girls’ Cause project at the following account number: 

or IBAN: HU61 1620 0010 1009 7432 0000 0000 

Reference: "Girls’ Cause" 

If you would like to become a VIP supporter of this program, please let us know at the following address: info@kozelafrikahoz.hu so that we can send you regular updates on the progress of the program.  

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