Tag: ENDFGMNOW

Many of our readers and supporters have inquired about how we came to observe a day against FGM.  Here is a brief history of this much needed observance.

On February 6, 2003, Stella Obasanjo, the former First Lady of Nigeria and then spokesperson for the Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation, made the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to FGM” in Africa during a conference organized by the Inter-African Committee (IAC), founded by Dr. Morissanda Kouyate.  Dr. Kouyate was instrumental in recommending to the United Nations that the day be set aside to observe the world’s intolerance of the practice of FGM.  The U.N. Sub-Commission on Human Rights adopted the day as an international awareness day.

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) this year is Saturday, February 6^th.  As an effort to make the world aware of female genital mutilation and to promote its eradication, in December of 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution.  The resolution called on all member states, civil society and all stakeholders to observe February 6^th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.  The U.N. requested that the day be used to enhance awareness-raising campaigns and to take concrete action against female genital mutilation.

In 2014, 17-year-old student, Fahma Mohamed created an online petition with Change.org on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.  Fahma asked the United Kingdom’s Minister of Education at the time to write to the leaders of all primary and secondary schools in the U.K. and encourage them to be alert to the dangers of FGM.  The petition attained more than 230,000 supporters and was one of the fastest growing U.K. petitions on Change.org. Fahma Mohamed got her wish, and the U.K. Education Minister did not only write to the schools, but to all Head Teachers in England as well.

We ask you to save the February 6^th date on your calendar.  We will update you with details of an event in our area in observance of the day.

We know that October 15^th is more than ten months away but we want you to save the date early on your calendar.  This is the largest awareness raising event held by Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation each year.

If you were unaware, on November 8, 2014, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation started the Walk to End FGM on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to raise awareness about female genital mutilation (FGM) in the United States.  The organization was not certain of how the idea of such an event would be received.  It was encouraging after a great turnout therefore the decision was made to make it an annual event.

Then on October 31, 2015 the organization held the second Walk to End FGM in Washington, D.C.  The event was endorsed by U.S. Maryland’s Governor, Larry Hogan.

Now the organization looks forward to the third Walk to End FGM on Saturday, October 15^th on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  Remember, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation will award eleven deserving women on October 15^th for their work and role against gender based violence, most especially female genital mutilation.  If you would like to see your choice of woman recognized with an award, send your nomination to info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.  Tell us why she should be recognized with a summary of her work and role.  In the subject line, indicate “Recognition Nomination”.

In late November of last year, the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh stunned the world with his announcement that he was officially banning the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in his West African country.  Many advocates and activists applauded but were skeptical, and reserved their celebrations until they saw the implementation.

Last week, President Jammeh’s Parliament passed the bill to ban the practice of female genital mutilation in that country.  According to the Washington Post, the bill imposes strict penalties for offenders.  Offenders could face at least a three-year imprisonment or a fine of the equivalent of $1,250.  If the practice results in death, the offender could face life imprisonment.

The Gambia has been one of the practicing countries in West Africa with a high FGM rate.  Seventy-Six Percent of women in the Gambia have undergone FGM, and 56% of girls by the age of 14 have already undergone female genital mutilation.

In the Gambia, FGM is performed by cutting the genitals and then stitching closed the remaining skin so that the women do not have or enjoy sexual intercourse.  In the aftermath, it can lead to tetanus, gangrene, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

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.

 

 

 

Organizations from around the world convened in a meeting last Thursday in Washington, D.C. to discuss next steps for combating the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting. (FGM/C)  The meeting, “Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) Convening” was held in the offices of the Wallace Global Fund in Washington, D.C.  This meeting was a follow up to the meeting held at the Department of Health and Human Services on October 2, 2014.  Last year’s meeting was a listening session by government agencies, where a special committee heard suggestions from various organizations in the U.S.

This year’s meeting was hosted by the Wallace Global Fund with organizations from several parts of the world.  Organizations attending the meeting included Equality Now, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, the Girl Generation, Safe Hands for Girls, African Sky, End FGM European Network, DFID, African Well Women’s Clinic, Human Dignity Foundation, Art and Activism, the European Union, Norwegian Ministry of Children and several U.S. Government agencies.

Representatives from the U.S. Government agencies addressed the attendees in the conference room, including those organizations which joined the meeting through teleconference from Europe and various parts of the United States.  They told them that the United States is committed to ending female genital mutilation/cutting.  The representatives explained the great progress that has been made in many aspects toward combating the practice of FGM.

In comparison to the strides that have been made by European countries and the United Kingdom, it is clear that the U.S. is trailing.  However with the steps and progress made within a year by the U.S. organizations and the government, there is great hope for the future.

The organizations participating in the meeting were asked to share their highlights of work in 2015 and share the highlights of their plans for 2016.  Those organizations agreed that the campaign to end FGM is not a task for one individual or for one organization or group; it is a job for several like-minded organizations, individuals and groups to collaborate their efforts in combatting this dreadful practice in the world.

Undoubtedly more of such meetings are needed and the frequency of these organizations, individuals and groups convening is a must.

 

The Board members of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation held their 2015 year-end meeting last Saturday.  The year-end meeting is probably the most important meeting of the year.  The Board revisits each program the organization ran and each event they held during the year.  They review ‘lessons learned’, and vote on what to continue in the upcoming year and what not to repeat.  The Board also reviews the annual report of the current year and the budget for the upcoming year.  The year-end meeting is where the Board of Directors nominates and elects any incoming members and they reelect officers and directors.

One of the programs of which the Board expressed excitement on Saturday is their Kids Reach Program.  The organization has 2016 plans to partner with City Gate, a Washington, D.C. based organization that runs several after-school programs.  City Gate will incorporate Global Woman P.E.A.C.E.’s Kids Reach Program in their after school curriculum.  The Kids Reach is a pilot program, designed for elementary and middle school children.  The program includes geography, reading, writing, arts and crafts and theatrics, while City Gate’s program teaches the STEM system.  All of the lessons mentioned in the program include teachings about the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting.  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation has appointed a special committee to design and prepare the lessons with proper child-friendly language.  “We certainly do not want to frighten the children or confuse them with language beyond their comprehension”, said a member of the special committee.

The other program is their Group Support Program, which is connected to the OB-GYN Network.  This year the organization launched the program with special Gynecologists in the Washington, D.C. area.  The purpose of the program is to create a line-up of Gynecologists that are familiar with the medical treatment of post-FGM/C.  This line-up of specialists will be provided by the organization to women who have undergone FGM/C to ensure that the women receive proper gynecological care.  Included in this Network are Family Practitioners and Pediatricians.  “It is crucial to include the medical community in the campaign to prevent as well as rehabilitate FGM/C”, remarked a board member.

Other matters the Board discussed are their biggest event of the year, the “Walk to End FGM” and a special observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance.  The walk-A-thon is already scheduled for October 15, 2016.  International Day of Zero Tolerance is observed each year on February 6^th.

Yes, you read this headline correctly.  Female genital mutilation/cutting is practiced in Australia.  According to the Medical Journal of Australia, due to an increasing number of immigrants that arrived and settled in Australia from African countries in which FGM is practiced, FGM has become prevalent in Australia and could increase.  According to Australian immigration, between 1999 and 2009, 38,299 immigrants from Sudan, Somalia, Egypt and Ethiopia settled in Australia.

Australian law prohibits the practice of FGM.  It is the policy of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that female genital mutilation of any type is prohibited.  As far back as 1994, the Family Law Council admitted that it was likely that FGM was being practiced in Australia.  Then in 2010, doctors and hospitals in Australia confirmed the suspicions that FGM was practiced there.  According to the hospitals, they began to see a number of female patients who had undergone FGM.  The Melbourne Royal Women’s Hospital alone reported treating up to seven hundred post-FGM patients annually.

 

To quote the Australian Medical Journal, “It predates the Koran and the Bible, it has no basis in any religious text and is therefore not based in religious observance. Rather, FGM is focused on social control of girls’ and women’s bodies and capacity for sexual enjoyment and fulfilment.”  FGM does indeed have nothing to do with religion, as there is no mention in either the Bible or the Qur’an.

Some of the justifications given for practicing FGM are: it is a rite of passage into womanhood; it ensures virginity (promoting family honor); it helps attract a husband because uncircumcised women are seen as immoral; and it prevents infidelity by controlling sexual desire and capacity.

Australia has put forth strong and clear prohibitions of FGM in both legal and medical policies, and possesses a generally enviable record of gender equality and health provision.

This article is a clear example that FGM is no longer an African, Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian problem.  FGM has become a world’s problem, and it has been that way for several years now.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation launched a special campaign petition on Change.org in August of this year to the U.S. Department of Education.  The organization which advocates on behalf of women and girls against female genital mutilation has set a goal to collect at least 200,000 signatures; this is in its plight to get the U.S. Department of Education to include at least one lesson in its curriculum on female genital mutilation (FGM) in the elementary and middle schools.

The organization believes that educating the children from an early age, most especially the popular age range of seven through thirteen about the practice of FGM is crucial.  The sooner the children are aware of the practice, the more likely thousands of girls in the U.S. can be spared from undergoing female genital mutilation.  We need your signature to meet our goal.

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

Join the Campaign and Sign Our Petition

By signing this petition, you are making your voice heard.  You are joining the thousands of concerned citizens, not only of the United States but of the world to say that the practice of female genital mutilation must be stopped.  You are saying that there is no longer a place in the world for atrocities and violence against woman.  It is a tradition that is older than five centuries but it is tradition that can hinder a girl’s ability to bear children, and produces a lifetime of both physical and psychological pain.

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

When you shop this holiday season at Amazon, please select Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation as your charity of choice.

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.

Today is #GivingTuesday.  What is #GivingTuesday?  Thousands of shoppers take to the stores the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. to get the best deals of the holiday season.  The day is called, Black Friday.  Then there is the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is referred to as Cyber Monday.  #GivingTuesday is special, especially to nonprofit organizations.  #GivingTuesday is the day when charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world come together for one common purpose.  They celebrate giving and generosity.

What is the origin of #GivingTuesday?  A cultural center in New York City called 92^nd Y in 1874 started bringing people together around the values of service and giving back.  Four years ago, the same cultural center created #GivingTuesday.  The day is intended to connect diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations in the spirit of giving.  #GivingTuesday is a global movement, which unites countries around the world by sharing their capacity to care for and empower one another.

In the spirit of giving on this #GivingTuesday, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation asks that you join us in that spirit by supporting us.  When you shop today on Amazon, please choose Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. as your charity choice.

All donations received on #GivingTuesday will support our special “Funds for Surgery”.  If you have any questions about our Funds for Surgery, please contact us at info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

The Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh last week announced that he was officially banning the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in his West African country.  The President was at a rally when he made the astounding announcement.  The Gambia has been one of the practicing countries in West Africa with a high FGM rate.  Seventy-Six Percent of women in the Gambia have undergone FGM, and 56% of girls by the age of 14 have already undergone female genital mutilation.

In the Gambia, FGM is performed by cutting the genitals and then stitching closed the remaining skin so that the women do not have or enjoy sexual intercourse.  In the aftermath, it can lead to tetanus, gangrene, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Jaha Dukureh, FGM Activist & Advocate

According to the Guardian, Activist and Advocate Jaha Dukurah told them, “I’m amazed that the President did this.  I didn’t expect this in a million years.  I’m just really proud of my country and I’m really, really happy.”  Jaha, a Gambian native has been relentless in her plight to help end the practice of FGM, not only in her country but in other parts of the world.  In the summer of 2014 Jaha led a campaign on the internet to get the attention of the U.S. Congress about FGM.  She successfully amassed 220,000 signatures through the internet, and took her boxes of signatures to Capitol Hill.  The signatures prompted a bi-partisan plea in a letter to President Obama, requesting a law against “vacation cutting”.  Vacation Cutting is when a girl is taken out of a western country to the parents’ country of origin for the purpose of performing FGM on her.

President Jammeh is up for reelection, and he took a risk of possibly losing the election due to this drastic decision.  The Gambian President echoed what several Muslim leaders have stated; that FGM is not required by Islam.  In the past, many Muslims have hidden behind religion with the excuse that FGM is a religious practice.  However there is no passage in the Qur’an that says the practice of FGM should be done.

According to reports, President Jammeh said that the law to ban FGM is effective immediately.  However it is unclear how long it will be until the law is passed for the ban to be enforced.  It is hopeful that other African countries will follow what the Gambians have done.  Congratulations to the Gambia!    

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation launched a special campaign petition on Change.org in August of this year to the U.S. Department of Education.  The organization which advocates on behalf of women and girls against female genital mutilation has set a goal to collect at least 200,000 signatures; this is in its plight to get the U.S. Department of Education to include at least one lesson in its curriculum on female genital mutilation (FGM) in the elementary and middle schools.

The organization believes that educating the children from an early age, most especially the popular age range of seven through thirteen about the practice of FGM is crucial.  The sooner the children are aware of the practice, the more likely thousands of girls in the U.S. can be spared from undergoing female genital mutilation.  We need your signature to meet our goal.

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

Join the Campaign and Sign Our Petition

By signing this petition, you are making your voice heard.  You are joining the thousands of concerned citizens, not only of the United States but of the world to say that the practice of female genital mutilation must be stopped.  You are saying that there is no longer a place in the world for atrocities and violence against woman.  It is a tradition that is older than five centuries but it is tradition that can hinder a girl’s ability to bear children, and produces a lifetime of both physical and psychological pain.

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

According to Wikipedia thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations, such as Liberia that, Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in Canada and the United States as a day of giving observes thanks on the first Tuesday of November. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

American history shows that the 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest that year. Pilgrims and Puritans who began emigrating from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to what is now known as New England. Several days of Thanksgiving were held in early New England history that has been identified as the “First Thanksgiving”.

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is the one holiday that is celebrated by every family in the U.S., regardless of race, religion and nationality.  It is also the biggest traveled holiday in the country.  The day is usually referred to as ‘Turkey Day’, but it extends far beyond the consumption of baked or roasted turkey and pumpkin pie.  It is traditional for some families to have everyone around the table take turns in stating why he or she is thankful.  The reasons for being thankful vary from each member of the family.  With that in mind, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation wants to share with you why we at the organization are thankful this Thanksgiving.  We are thankful for all of the survivors of FGM who are willing to stand with us in our campaign to end the practice.  We are thankful for our many supporters, partners and sponsors; we are also thankful for each person who stops and takes the time to listen to us as we explain what FGM is.  We are thankful for you.  We wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

The Global Women’s Institute of the George Washington University last Friday held their 2015 Women’s Film Festival called Censored.  Focusing on Research, Education and Civic Engagement, in just short a time, the Global Women’s Institute has become known as a premier institute for advancing gender equality.

The films screened at the festival were The Price of Honor with Director, Neena Nejad; Honor Diaries with Writer/Producer, Paula Kweskin; India’s Daughter with Associate Producer Riddhi Jha and The Cruel Cut with Star-Activist, Leyla Hussein.

The Price of Honor – Director Neena Nejad

The Price of Honor (2013) is an award winning documentary about the true story of the honor killings of Sarah and Amina Said.  The two teenage sisters were murdered on New Year’s Day in 2008 in Texas.  According to the film, the girls’ father, Yaser Said carried out a premeditated honor killing that was planned and executed by him.  This film demonstrates that honor killings extend far beyond domestic violence.

Honor Diaries – Producer Paula Kwesin

Honor Diaries (2014) is more than a film; it is a movement to inspire viewers to learn more about issues facing women in Muslim-majority societies and to act for change.  In male-dominated cultures, women and girls are treated like property, forced into marriage and suffer female genital mutilation.  Honor Diaries is the first film to break the silence on ‘honor violence’ against women and girls.

India’s Daughter – Producer Riddhi Jha

India’s Daughter (2015) is an infuriating documentary about twenty-three year old medical student, Jyoti Singh, who was brutally gang raped and murdered while riding a bus in India on December 16, 2012.  This film is a tear jerker, especially in the scenes where the parents appear as they speak amicably about their murdered daughter.

Cruel Cut – Star Leyla Hussein

The Cruel Cut (2013) is about a topic that until in recent years was forbidden to discuss, and it is female genital mutilation (FGM).  A brave woman, Leyla Hussein took her crusade to the British government, citizens of the U.K. and just about anyone who would stop and listen to her.  Leyla, a survivor of the practice of FGM is originally from Somalia but spent her formative years in several countries around the world.  This film is highly recommended if you are doubtful about supporting the campaign against FGM.

Slightly larger than the U.S. state of Colorado, Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a bordered by Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The country consists of extensive plains, low hills, high savannas, and a desert area in the north.  This country gained its independence from France in 1960, and changed its colonial name from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso.  The capital city is Ouagadougou.

According to a report from the UNCHR, the type of female genital mutilation (FGM) practiced in Burkina Faso is Type II, which is more commonly known as the excision. The excision is deeply rooted in the culture and cuts across class, religion and ethnic groups in this country. It is performed throughout the country, in all, with a few exceptions of the provinces of Burkina Faso.

Type II is the excision (removal) of the clitoris together with part or all of the labia minora (the inner vaginal lips). The age at which a person undergoes this practice depends on a woman’s region and ethnic group in Burkina Faso.

Members of the ethnic group, the Mossi excise their daughters at around age seven. Other ethnic groups usually wait until a woman is ready for marriage, or about to have her first child before she is excised. Others have their baby girls excised at birth.

According to sociocultural beliefs, originally the practice of FGM had a single goal of assuring the fidelity of women in Burkina Faso. It is often connected with the rite of passage to adulthood.  Young girls from the majority Mossi group were traditionally secluded during the cutting and taught about their future duties as young women and mothers. The end of the girls’ seclusion was marked by a village-wide celebration with drinking and dancing.

“In the last few years many more people have reported cases of FGM,” said someone from the SP/CNLPE. “This doesn’t mean that more people are practicing FGM, but that more people are aware of the harm caused by the practice and are reporting these cases. In the past they didn’t speak up because FGM is considered a family matter and there is a sense of family and community solidarity. People were afraid they would be treated as social outcasts if they reported cases.  But recently we’ve had many reports from around the whole country, especially from areas where people never reported this before, where there used to be a code of silence surrounding this issue.”

 

In recent years, progress has been made in Burkina Faso regarding FGM.  In 1996, Burkina Faso was the third African country to ban the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).  The First Lady of this country played a vital role in the outlaw of FGM.  She dedicated more than twenty years toward ending the practice in her country.  Statistics show that today, only 9% of people in this West African nation are in favor of the practice of FGM.

In 2014, an organization called Clitoraid together with Dr. Marci Bowers launched the first hospital in Africa to offer the restorative surgery and special OB-GYN services surrounding FGM.   The small hospital located in Bobo Dialasso, Burkina Faso is called Hospital Kamkaso, meaning Pleasure Hospital, and has 17 rooms but it is a great start.  While the restorative surgery in the U.S. costs approximately $1700, at Hospital Kamkaso in Burkina Faso, it only costs $300.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation launched a special campaign petition on Change.org in August of this year to the U.S. Department of Education.  The organization which advocates on behalf of women and girls against female genital mutilation has set a goal to collect at least 200,000 signatures; this is in its plight to get the U.S. Department of Education to include at least one lesson in its curriculum on female genital mutilation (FGM) in the elementary and middle schools.

The organization believes that educating the children from an early age, most especially the popular age range of seven through thirteen about the practice of FGM is crucial.  The sooner the children are aware of the practice, the more likely thousands of girls in the U.S. can be spared from undergoing female genital mutilation.  We need your signature to meet our goal.

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

Join the Campaign and Sign Our Petition

By signing this petition, you are making your voice heard.  You are joining the thousands of concerned citizens, not only of the United States but of the world to say that the practice of female genital mutilation must be stopped.  You are saying that there is no longer a place in the world for atrocities and violence against woman.  It is a tradition that is older than five centuries but it is tradition that plays no positive role in a girl’s life; instead it can hinder her ability to bear children, and produces a lifetime of both physical and psychological pain.

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

In Virginia, we are located at 901 South Highland Street, Suite 319, Arlington, Virginia 22204 and in Washington DC 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’s President and Founder, Angela Peabody was one of the presenters in the Isuroon’s “Safe Mothers, Safe Newborns” conference in Minneapolis last Thursday.  The conference was Isuroon’s inaugural global conference to discuss the parameters of maternal and child health in Minnesota, Somalia and other parts of the world.

Isuroon is an organization founded by the Executive Director, Mrs. Fartun Weli, an immigrant from Somalia.  Weli, who is also a member of Minnesota Peace Initiative and Minnesota Council for Non-profits envisioned a world in which Somali women are empowered and their health disparities are eliminated.  She also envisions Minnesota becoming the model U.S. state for helping rebuild the lives of Somali women everywhere they reside, including the women in Somalia.  The mission of Isuroon is to build Somali women’s self-sufficiency so that they can lead healthier and more productive lives in Minnesota, nationally and in Somalia.

The conference displayed a wide range of esteemed speakers, internationally, nationally and locally.  The speakers’ roster comprised of elected officials, non-profit leaders, physicians and educators.  Minnesota Congressman, Keith Ellison and Minnesota Senator, Sandra Pappas were among the many speakers of the day.   Other speakers included Dr. Achu Lordfred from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Kolawole Okuyemi of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Eric Schwartz the Dean of the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Tawara Goode of Georgetown University and Abdirizak Farah of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Peabody’s presentation focused on the truth about female genital cutting.  She told the audience what her organization has done in the campaign to end the practice of FGM/C.  The President of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation urged the men to join in the conversation about what is known to be a forbidden topic to discuss.  She encouraged the survivors of FGM/C to speak out and share their stories and help to educate the American public about this practice.  Peabody also pointed out that female genital cutting is one of the reasons for maternal and infant mortalities.  She reminded them that the practice of FGM in the U.S. is illegal, and it carries a minimum of 5-year imprisonment.  She called for collaborations among organizations and for exchange programs across oceans.  In conclusion, Peabody said she has committed the rest of her life to her work against FGM, and called for much more coverage from the U.S. media.