Voices within the Community

Although this practice has been carried out for centuries the debate of FGM was unheard of until the 1950s.  Most of these women and children suffered in silence.  They accepted this fate because there was no one to advocate for them.  The dangers and harms caused by FGM was brought to the attention of The United Nations and WHO (World Health Organization) by African activists and some of their medical practitioners in the 1960s.  Once again the silence was broken in 1984 when the Inter African Committee Against Harmful Traditional Practices (IAC) was formed.   They began the discussions of all the health factors and harmful effects FGM causes in over 28 different African countries.  They brought this issue to the attention of African governments.  Equality Now is another Activist group, they work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls around the world since 1992, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support efforts to stop these abuses.  More and more Research groups are becoming available for the those to which whom without may never have the opportunity to get their stories heard.  I found this research project by the WHO and provided the link below.

http://www.planusa.org/docs/ListeningtoAfricanVoices.pdf