On Saturday, the NGO GAMS will launch a campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice particularly popular in African cultures, highlighting parents who protect their children from this practice, often against social and family pressures.
This year’s campaign has expanded its reach to include both European and international efforts, with over 50 organisations—including those in Kenya—joining to spread the same message. “Every twelve minutes, a girl dies from female genital mutilation,” states the campaign.
According to Fabienne Richard, Director of GAMS Belgium, while it’s previously known that 4.3 million girls worldwide are at risk of undergoing FGM annually, recent findings show that 44,320 girls die each year during or following the procedure. “In countries where this happens, it is now the fourth leading cause of death among girls,” she adds.
The new global report by organisations such as the European and American networks End FGM reveals that FGM occurs in 94 countries and is increasingly performed by medical professionals. “Previously, one in three cases was conducted by healthcare providers; now, it has risen to 66 percent.”
In Belgium, over 12,000 girls are considered at risk. This year’s prevention campaign by GAMS and its international partners focuses on parents who have successfully shielded their daughters from FGM.
“These are parents prepared to protect their daughters from social norms, yet they remain discreet out of fear of conflict with family or community members still attached to the practice,” explains Richard. “These parents deserve support and recognition. It is crucial for them to realise they are not alone because by making these protective voices heard, we can break the silence, reduce social acceptance of FGM, and encourage others to follow suit.”
