OPTIMISTIC TONE REFLECTED AT FGM PANEL DISCUSSION - PORTCULLIS HOUSE, LONDON

Some  key points- Wed October 15th, 2014.

-         Main speakers knew their  subject matter, very well.Hard  facts revealed...
-           UK and Tanzanian government figures  in attendance
-          28 Too Many and Lynne Featherstone –Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development at DFID- strongly believe FGM will end if we all play a small part
-          Men’s involvement will ensure faster results, as men tends to be heads of families in the affected regions
-          Education in rural areas key to ending ignorance around the benefits and values of FGM
-          Those listening and attending also gave strong positive , critical views
-          We cannot let a girl be cut every ten seconds any more
-    It will be tricky to handle the FGM cutters. This is their livelihood. Community coherence is key
-          In Nigeria sales of girl’s clitoris as lucky charms due to FGM made us all gasp
-          Young dead FGM victims in Tanzania thrown into the bushes to be eaten by wild animals
-          Hon Jeremy Lefroy MP for Stafford, kicked off the evening with Swahili words “Mabibi na Mabwana...”
-           Despite thousands of years of the evil foot binding for women in China, campaigns at the beginning of 20^th Century,  intense and determined ended the abhorring practice very quickly.
FGM should follow suit, so said Dr Anne- Marie of 28 Too Many...

•  Feet of a Chinese woman in the old days, before the common evil was abolished. Pic by Jo Farrell

Humanity has developed fast. Yet backward, primitive, inhuman, evil acts continue unabated. Some of these shameful acts are ill treatment of women. 

Violence against women include : honour killings, dowry deaths, human trafficking, sexual slavery, genocide rape (especially in war zones) and FGM. For more graphic materials about FGM check this blog HERE....

WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.

Every man has a female associate some where : a  sister,  niece, cousin, wife, girlfriend, mother, aunt, professional colleague, grandmother, etc We are all involved. We are all in this together.WE SHOULD ALL MAKE SOME NOISE.

Peter Mwita  from Mara region Tanzania : " Education is the major key to fight FGM...."

Michelle Akintoye of BritAfrique contributes to the panel. Seated on her right is Mrs Caroline Chipeta of Tanzanian High Commission London....

MP Lefroy who chaired the panel discussion mingles before things start cooking....

Paige Collings of Orchid Project which also campaigns against FGM raises a point.

Mrs Rhobi Samwelly Project Co-ordinator of the Mugumu refuge headquarters in Mara Musoma. A key speaker who highlighted grass root info. On her side is Julian Marcus of British Tanzania Society.
Fundraising parented by BTS through TTF...still ongoing. More money needed. To help click HERE

MBE, Comfort Momoh, speaks. On her left is Dr Anne Marie Wilson and MP Lefroy