Category: 0908

Written by A.M. Peabody in conjunction with her 501 c3  – Global Woman® PEACE Foundation – ‘When the Games Froze’ fuses American Football, Christianity and female genital mutilation into a blistering exposé’ of the abuse thousands of young girls face daily. By sharing her story with those in North America, Peabody aims to garner support and resources to make genital mutilation a thing of the past.

While it may appear to be inconceivable to millions of North Americans who live in relative peace, over eight thousand young women are forced to endure life-threatening genital mutilation on a daily basis. Through an insightful and compelling new novel, author and humanitarian A.M. Peabody is helping readers from coast to coast recognize and fight against this deplorable practice.

‘When the Games Froze’ combines American Football, Christianity and fate to tell a heartfelt story of one woman who plans to change the world.

Synopsis:

Nana Nkuku is a driven woman living in the United States, working at a travel agency in D.C. Though many hardworking 20-somethings would be interested in nonprofit jobs, Nana has started an organization that she needs to see through to its turning point. Why? Because deep in Nana’s heart is a calling to do what she can for young girls in her native Ghana who are suffering the tragedy of female circumcisions just like she did when she was their age. She’s left the haunted places of her past and the trauma of that violation behind her, but she still has to face the challenge of changing the future.

Thankfully she has a wonderful circle of friends that includes Frank, a rising star. When he switches from the football schedule to the non-profit circuit, will things finally fall in place? Read When the Games Froze now to know how it all turns out.

 As the author explains, the book forms just one part of an on-going and growing campaign to end gender-based abuse around the world.

“The book was written to bluntly highlight the reality of female circumcision in a way that relates to people in the West. Naturally, they live a life that is a million miles away from the young girls in West Africa, for example. Therefore, I hope to garner life-long support and donations from readers across the country. Just like the story, we can all come together by fate with a destiny to help others” says Peabody, President of Global Woman® PEACE Foundation and also the first Liberian native to publish a full-length novel.

Continuing, “Our organization is also working tirelessly to build an educational boarding center for girls in Liberia, West Africa. All proceeds from the book will go directly to support this mission and give girls a start in life that leads them away from abuse into a life where they have control. We can get there, but we require people from across the country to support us. The book is the perfect starting point and I advise both men and women to get their copies as soon as possible.”

‘When the Games Froze’ is available now at the following stores:

 

To find out more about the tireless work of Global Woman® PEACE Foundation, visit: https://globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

In Virginia, we are located at 901 South Highland Street, Suite 319, Arlington, Virginia 22204 and in Washington we are at 3920 Alton Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20016.  The hours of operation at the Arlington location are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:00am until 3:00pm for appointments and at the Washington, D.C. location, only Wednesday and Saturday 10:00am until 12:30pm.  All appointments and information are held confidential.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation’s own Dr. Chelsia Bhatti will launch her medical blog!  In our efforts to help educate the general public on the practice of female genital mutilation, we will have a blog on our website for the first time.  It is Dr. Bhatti’s hope that her medical knowledge will help shed light on the practice of FGM, and empower women and girls through her educational blog.

Dr. Chelsia Bhatti is a native of Vancouver, Canada. She graduated as a physician from Kasturba Medical College in India, and has made her home in the United States where she continues her medical career. Dr. Bhatti holds a special interest in the welfare and advocacy of women and children. She is currently the Medical Advisor and Secretary of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation’s Board of Directors.  She believes in utilizing her skills to bring awareness to gender based violence and most importantly bring education and empowerment to women.

We will provide you will additional information on the actual launch date of the blog in the next  few weeks.

To sign the petition, please click the link below and watch the video:

https://www.change.org/p/us-department-of-education-include-one-lesson-on-female-genital-mutilation-in-us-elementary-schools

If you have questions or comments about the campaign prior to signing the petition, please contact us at info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

This is a reminder that you only have 7 weeks left to register for the Walk to End FGM.

• Register as a walker
• Register as a survivor
• Form a team and invite others to join your team
• Join a team that has already been formed
• Register as a volunteer
• Make a donation (if you are unable to attend)
• Sponsor a team or an individual walker (contact us for sponsorship packages)
• Purchase a Sponsor Display Table (contact us for details)

Visit www.globalwomanpeacefoundation.org and make your choice from the options above.  We look forward to seeing you there!  All proceeds from the walk-a-thon will benefit the Global Woman Center, which helps FGM survivors have proper OB-GYN healthcare, including restorative surgery.  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.  As such, your contributions are tax deductible to the maximum extent required by law. 

This column of “Did You Know…” is intended to help inform and educate our readers on the practice of FGM.  Starting with this edition, we will bring you a series, featuring a FGM-practicing country each week.

Female genital mutilation is forbidden by Islam, according to an Islamic scholar interviewed by a reporter from the Cairo Post.  In the same report, the reporter revealed that special FGM shops have opened for business in certain parts of Egypt.

In 2008 the practice of FGM was banned in Egypt, the first African nation to outlaw the practice.  Despite the illegality, the practice in this country has skyrocketed; and families can now have their little girls mutilated for less than the equivalent of ten U.S. Dollars ($10.00).  In recent months, Egypt has been referred to as the FGM capital of the world.

Last year, a 13-year old girl died in Egypt after she had undergone FGM.  Her death spurred controversy worldwide after her father and the excisors were both arrested and prosecuted in Egypt.  This latest release out of Egypt only confirmed that making the practice of FGM illegal in any country is not enough.  The excisors are daring and defiant of the law; actual enforcement of the law is paramount and not just making it an article in the law books.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation plans to honor survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) during their pre-walk ceremony on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 31^st.  The organization will also pay tribute in a moment of silence to the many women and girls that have died as a result of the dreadful practice of FGM.  The survivors will wear purple shirts, and will be honorably seated in the front row during the ceremony.  “It is the least we can do to recognize the brave women and girls who have lived with the consequences.”  A representative from the Global Woman Center said.  “For these women to come forward and reveal that they are survivors of something that is taboo to discuss in their culture is remarkable and honorable, and we think that they should be honored everyday of their lives.”

Although most deaths resulting from FGM occur within twenty-four hours to two weeks following the procedure, many survivors die in childbirth years later.  The risk of fatality is always a possibility.  Studies have hinted of a correlation between FGM and cervical cancer. Approximately 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of female genital mutilation.

The renowned OB-GYN, Dr. Marci Bowers is scheduled to address the crowd as well as the honorees during the ceremony.  Dr. Bowers will speak to the crowd from a medical perspective.  She has successfully performed hundreds of restorative surgeries on survivors of female genital mutilation.

If you are a survivor of FGM and are able to attend the walk-a-thon, please go to the website www.globalwomanpeacefoundation.org and register as a survivor to be included as an honoree on October 31^st.  If you know someone or persons that are survivors, please encourage them to register or contact Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation at info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.  We want to give you the recognition and honor you so deserve.