New Youth-Led Organization to Fight Female Genital Mutilation and Protect Girls in Somaliland

Mastercard Foundation Scholars and The Resolution Social Venture Challenge

It is an intensive week in the city of Hargeisa, Somaliland, where a group of 170 people have gathered. Among them are about 100 youth aged 15–25, 50 parents, and 20 traditional female circumcisers. The participants in the training workshop have come from three districts of Somaliland: Hargeisa, Gabiley, and Abaarso.

At the centre of the gathering is a group of three young women. Ubah Ali and Kawsar Muuse of Somaliland and Claudette Igiraneza of Rwanda are teaching their community about the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) for women’s physical, mental, and sexual health.

Also present are officials from Somaliland’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and medical doctors, who are helping the young women to educate the public that FGM is not an Islamic tradition or a religious requirement, and that it should be eradicated.

Ubah, Kawsar, and Claudette are the co-founders of the Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation. They met through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the American University of Beirut, selected to the scholarship as a result of their academic talent, social consciousness, and leadership qualities.

Ubah, Kawsar, and Claudette have a goal: they want to protect the 98 percent of girls in Somaliland who undergo FGM.

Kawsar, 22, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the American University of Beirut. She uses her personal experience of pain, trauma, physical, and psychological torture to give a voice to young Somaliland girls who undergo one of the two types of FGM.

“Type III which is also known as infibulation, is done by sewing up the genitalia after the removal of the external parts. Type II, also called excision, is when the external parts of the genitalia and the clitoris are removed,” said Kawsar, who went on to say that a girl who suffers one of these two forms of FGM faces serious health complications such as acute bleeding, urinary tract infections, infertility, and complications while giving birth, which can sometimes jeopardize the health of the baby.

There are four types of FGM practiced worldwide but in Somaliland the most commonly practised are types II and III.

According to 2014 statistics from the Edna Adan Hospital Foundation, one of the organizations helping to fight FGM in Somaliland, FGM contributes to the high annual maternal mortality rate in Somaliland. For every 100,000 births, between 1,000 and 1,400 mothers die every year; among infants, statistics are even more appalling, with 117 out of 1,000 babies dying at birth as a direct consequence of FGM.

Based on the high rates of maternal and infant mortality, coupled with the trauma experienced by survivors of the practice, the Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation wants to educate the public through different stakeholders to stop FGM. While they have their supporters, the young scholars also expect to meet plenty of challenges to their education efforts.

“Ethically, FGM violates women’s rights, such as the right to physical integrity and health. Moreover, as a country which has an illiteracy rate of 72 percent, people don’t have access to information and have little knowledge of the dangers associated with the practice,” said Ubah.

In many remote parts of Somaliland, the practice is performed by untrained women who use unsterilized razors and knives without anesthesia, which exposes the young girls to serious health risks.

Although the Somaliland government passed a law in 2017 prohibiting FGM, no perpetrators have been punished for carrying out the practice. For many in the Somaliland community, FGM is a cultural and religious norm.

“Our stakeholders include parents, primary and high school students, community development officers, religious leaders, youth-led organizations, circumcisers, and anti-FGM movements within our areas of implementation,” said Ubah.

There are only two recognized organizations in Somaliland fighting against FGM: NAFIS and the Edna Adan Foundation. The Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation could be a new voice in the fight against FGM.

The Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation won the Resolution Social Venture Challenge in 2018, a competition that rewards compelling leadership and promising social ventures led by youth. These young leaders earned a fellowship that includes seed funding, mentorship, and access to a network of young global change-makers to pursue impactful projects in their communities. A collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and The Resolution Project, the Resolution Social Venture Challenge provides a pathway to action for socially responsible young leaders who want to create change that matters in their communities.

The Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation has also put in place a long-term project that consists of a training program that will educate 60 people each year starting in summer 2020, in FGM related issues and certify them after the completion of their training. Among the 60 graduates, 15 will be selected to train the next group of trainers. The information will continue to reach a wider number of people in the country and perhaps help create the necessary awareness about the dangers of FGM to put an end to the practice.

“With hard work, commitment, and passion for our project, we managed to win the Resolution Social Venture Challenge, which was one of the best moments of our lives. We feel empowered to use our voice, particularly in light of the support from the Mastercard Foundation and The Resolution Project, which includes mentorship, seed funding, and professional connections. This support will not only assist us to implement our idea sustainably and successfully, but it will also aid each of the team members to grow professionally. And above all, to help our community put an end to FGM,” said Claudette.

Pius Sawa is a freelance journalist based in Kenya. His stories have appeared in Reuters, Farm Radio International, and Inter Press Service.