Empowering Grandmother leaders to stop FGM

Grandmother Leaders are instrumental in mobilizing their communities to discuss the harmful effects of FGM and to come to a consensus on its abandonment.  Whilst many grandmothers previously spoke amongst themselves about the harm of FGM, it is only now they have been able to use their voices to make a lasting change for girls.  GMP’s Grandmother Leadership training has given them the tools they need to feel confident in their leadership role and voicing their opinions in front of the whole community and with village chiefs, imams and other community leaders.

“Since the arrival of GMP, we have been leading discussions on female circumcision. Before, we knew the dangers but it was with the project that we had the confidence and the courage to speak about it publicly.”

Fatoumata Baldé

Many grandmothers previously had an awareness and understanding of the potential harmful effects of FGM, but didn’t know how to make a change.  Using participatory learning techniques and supporting the existing strengths of senior women Grandmother Leaders have been able to make a change in numerous communities across southern Senegal. 

“Long before the Grandmother Project’s intervention, I discussed with other grandmothers of the village about the harm of cutting because I was a midwife at the hospital and had noticed problems among circumcised women. But it was only with the arrival of Grandmother Project that people really became aware of these problems. While I discussed individually with the grandmothers, GMP involved everyone. We grandmothers have made a commitment to not circumcise our granddaughters. We met together with the village chief and the parents of children and talked about the negative consequences of excision. Together, we agreed to denounce anyone who continued to practice female circumcision in the village.”

Kadiatou Baldé, Grandmother Leader

With your continued help, GMP can train more Grandmother Leaders in new communities and ensure that girls will no longer have to deal with the harmful effects of FGM.