Project Stop Excision

Goal: Goal: To contribute to an appreciable reduction in the incidence of female genital mutilation in Mali. In recent years, incidence of female genital cutting in Mali was estimated at 94%.

Project Stop Excision adds to the growing number of people famous and obscure who have begun to speak out for women's right to live free of the devastating experience of FGM and its many consequences. Building on seven years' demonstrated achievements and experience in Mali, Healthy Tomorrow / Sini Sanuman continues to pursue an active program of public education and social awareness about the practice of FGM.

Our primary organizing tool is the signature campaign, the Pledge Against Excision that was started in 2001. We also use music and media to reach out to people with our message. We have built a coalition of organizations and individuals in support of this effort, with some 45 partner groups collaborating in the Pledge campaign, and other actions against FGM. We continue to work to educate and reorient the practitioners of FGM, as we have done in the past, and we now have over 50 excisers that have stopped practicing FGC.

We are a rare group in Bamako in handing out literature. Our main excision handout explains (in French or Bambara) the problems with excision, offering suggested actions for people to take and quotes from religious leaders. We have found that this handout convinces many people that FGC should be stopped.

We also use graphic color photos showing the serious complications from FGC. Some excisers, looking at the pictures, have immediately said that they wanted to stop. We provide badges to our signature takers and they are very popular with people. We have published articles in Malian newspapers and have been on Malian television twice, and we continue to publicize our efforts through the media.