The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa-led Movement to End FGM/C programme

Approximately 200 million girls and women alive today have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

FGM/C is a human rights violation. It is a form of gender-based violence and is extremely damaging to physical and mental health and wellbeing. Women, girls and their allies are leading a growing movement for change across countries in Africa, Asia and beyond (including diaspora communities).

The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa-led Movement to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) programme, aims to support a significant reduction in the practice of FGM/C in Kenya, Somaliland, Senegal and Ethiopia by 2027. It will do this by accelerating positive changes in social attitudes towards ending FGM/C. This will contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating FGM/C by 2030.

The programme is supporting and strengthening grassroots and country-led efforts to end FGM/C. This requires working at multiple levels, from individuals through to national systems and global platforms. Our work includes grassroots grants, generating evidence and learning on what works, and supporting the broader global movement through advocacy and strategic communications.

We are doing this by:

1. Targeted interventions within communities to:
   1. Support individual and social change
   2. Promote the programme’s girl-centred and community-led principles
   3. Activate and support networks of change agents, including girls, women, teachers and health professionals.
2. Delivering grassroots grants to resource and build the capacity of women’s and girls’ rights and youth-led organisations and activists to implement, sustain and scale end FGM/C initiatives.
3. Integrating FGM/C interventions into existing systems and programmes, with an initial focus on prevention and care training into health professionals’ pre-service training.
4. Strategic media and campaigns to strengthen and amplify the end FGM/C movement, and to respond to emerging global, regional and national challenges and opportunities.
5. Global advocacy to strengthen and secure additional commitments and resources. This includes supporting survivors and activists to strengthen their leadership and emotional wellbeing, and to embrace their collective power.
6. Generating evidence and learning, with an initial focus on generating ‘Proof of Concept’ for the programme approach. Strong learning and results will allow the programme to contribute towards positive change beyond its immediate geographic footprint, and will contribute to the global evidence base on ending FGM/C.

The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa-led Movement to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) programme is funded by UK aid. The programme is implemented by a consortium led by Options and including Amref Health Africa, ActionAid, Orchid Project, Africa Coordination Centre for Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and University of Portsmouth.

The programme team is headquartered in Kenya, with staff and partners across the other focal countries. The programme started in September 2020 and will run until 2027.