Mariam Bojang is the FGM Survivor Representative of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation. She is a Graduate student, currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at the University of Texas at Tyler. Originally from the Gambia, West Africa, Mariam attended Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas where she graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Business prior to moving to Tyler, Texas to pursue and attain her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Relations. A Firm believer in Child Rights, the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and women’s empowerment, Mariam an FGM survivor, dedicates her time in implementing awareness on the issue of FGM. Through her many years of experience in youth group activities, Mariam has built the passion of advocating for female education and the rights of women. Mariam has appeared in the New York Times and more recently on Inside Story on Al Jazeera USA.
Keynote Speaker, Dr. Marci L Bowers
Dr. Marci Bowers is a highly regarded OB/GYN and a pelvic and gynecologic surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in Women’s Healthcare, and is known internationally for her restorative work with survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and an OB/GYN product of the University of Washington in Seattle. Following residency, Dr. Bowers remained in Seattle where she practiced as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist at The Polyclinic and Swedish Medical Center.
She spent several years in practice in Trinidad, Colorado before relocating in 2010 to the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2007 Dr. Bowers became an international authority on clitoral reconstruction for women who have suffered Female Genital Mutilation, one of few surgeons worldwide performing functional FGM reversal. She is also a regional expert in aesthetic vulvar surgery and has a history of many years in working with gynecologic issues across the full spectrum. She currently has her private practice at the Bay Area Reproductive Healthcare and Surgery in Northern California.
Dr. Bowers is the recipient of several awards and honors in the medical arena. She is affiliated with many hospitals, including the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Sutter Health) in Burlingame, California. Dr. Bowers is a member of the San Mateo Medical Association, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She serves on several committees in the medical community, and has appeared on such programs as CSI, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, The Tyra Banks Show, The Doctors Show, BBC and most recently, Inside Story on Al Jazeera USA.