“There is no developmental, religious or health reason to cut or mutilate any girl or woman.”
– Ban Ki-moon
On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) (February 6, 2015), our W4 team is thrilled to announce that we will be doubling all donations made to the project, “Empower Maasai Women to Lead in the Combat to End FGM!”.
This special donation matching operation, to take place in February, will enable W4’s program partner, Voices of Hope, to continue its daily fight to end FGM from within the Maasai tribe of Kenya. The Voices of Hope team houses, supports and provides education for young Maasai women who have fled their homes in order to escape the dangerous procedure.
In Kenya, even today, 3 in every 4 Maasai girls are forced to undergo the practice, putting their health, even their lives, in danger. Further, UNICEF foresees that if the global community cannot successfully reduce the occurrence of FGM, the number of girls mutilated every year will increase from 3.6 million in 2013 to 6.6 million in 2050.
It’s time to stand up and put an end to this harmful and unjustifiable practice. Indeed, no religious, developmental or health-related argument can defend this human rights violation! Together, we can rise to the challenge and eradicate FGM. By educating young Maasai women, we can enable them to become leaders in their communities, giving them the voice and respect they need to change mindsets and encourage their elders to condemn the practice.
