Women's Global Education Project: Inspiring Rural African Communities To Say "No!" To Violence

When we empower the hardest-to-reach girls and women with 360° support, the whole world can feel it.

The Problem

A staggering 45.6% of women 15 years and older in Africa have experienced gender-based violence, the highest prevalence in the world. One type of gender-based violence is female genital mutilation/cutting. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation. In the region of Kenya where we work, 71% of women aged between 15-49 years have undergone some form of FGM/C. Many programs that address FGM/C don't address underlying attitudes or inspire sustainable cultural change; in fact, though FGM/C is now illegal in Kenya, many rural villages still practice the tradition.

In addition to the serious, sometimes fatal physical complications of FGM/C, girls who are cut are then treated as adults, ready to marry and bear children--and, more often than not, drop out of school immediately.

Together, we can help girls choose an alternative to FGM/C, stay in school, and decide their own futures!

The Solution

So far, our program has given 2,200 girls the chance to say "No!" to FGM/C, all with the support of their families. We do this through educating entire communities, including local leaders and activists, on the harms of FGM/C, the benefits of delaying marriage, and the power of educating girls.

We provide girls with an empowering alternative to FGM/C with the Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP) program. Developed closely with our women-led partner organization in Kenya, the series of workshops educate girls on topics they otherwise don't get to talk about, like reproductive health, consent, healthy relationships, and their right to getting an education.

We also hold workshops on gender-based violence for girls in Senegal as a part of our programming there. The support of Shared Nation would go to both of these imperative initiatives!

Planned Use Of Funds

Shared Nation's generous support would make it possible to reach even more marginalized girls with knowledge and skills to stay safe and healthy. Together, we can combat gender-based violence in remote African communities, help at-risk girls avoid FGM/C, and ensure that every girl lives to her fullest potential.