A Father’s Love

Fatou, 16, credits her father for preventing her from undergoing FGM.

In three small villages in southeastern Senegal, near the borders with Mali and Guinea, a significant cultural revolution is taking place – quietly, firmly, led by fathers, religious men and community leaders who believe that some ancient traditions no longer have a place in the modern world.

As a result, the practice of FGM, or the genital mutilation of girls, has largely died out in these villages, replaced by an enthusiastic drive to send girls to school. This is happening in a region of the country where the prevalence of FGM is as high as 73% in women ages 15–49.

Fatou is one of the young teens whose life has been changed because of these efforts.

“My dad was the one who told me not to accept FGM,” explains the 16-year-old. “He also said that if I ever see or hear of a girl in my community being cut, I should come and tell him, so we can file a complaint against the person and report them to the gendarmerie (police).”

Breaking tradition: How education is transforming rural villages

The traditional cutters, known locally as bardiéli and numou nusso in the local languages, have found that their services are no longer wanted. Grandparents and parents are convinced that old traditions no longer stand, and village festivities in which newly-cut girls were brought soap, money and cloths have stopped. The radical cultural change is largely due to the awareness-raising activities of Fatou’s dad and his counterparts, all members of the local Ecole de Pères, or Fathers’ School.

Fatou’s dad, Bamba, is a long-standing member of the Fathers’ School, which was established five years ago by Plan International and its partners to facilitate discussions for men about girls’ rights to an education and health care as well as the harmful effects of FGM.

“Before, men saw a girl who wasn’t cut as a girl without value,” explains the 56-year-old farmer, griot (traditional storyteller) and radio presenter. “She couldn’t have a boyfriend or a husband, so she would complain to her parents to be cut. Men of my generation wouldn’t date a girl who wasn’t cut.”

“At the time, I also thought it was normal for a girl to be cut; it had to be done. If the girls were 10 years old, we informed the village that such a day would be FGM day, and it was celebrated. If it wasn’t done, it was a shame for the girl.”

Impact and reach: How 311 fathers are changing 20,000 lives

The Fathers’ School initiative has grown to include 311 members who have reached more than 20,000 people in the Kédougou region.

“The Fathers’ School offers a space for discussion, decision -making, and action in promoting the rights of young girls,” explains Nathalie Coly, coordinator of the GirlEngage Senegal project. She adds that fathers and guardians also learn about gender-based violence and the dangers associated with child, early and forced marriage and FGM.

Huguette Sossouhounto, Plan International’s head of programming and influencing in Senegal, notes that the Fathers’ Schools have enabled dads as well as influential community figures, like village chiefs and imams, to advocate for change.

From taboo to open discussion: Transforming community attitudes

Bamba’s journey as an advocate against FGM wasn’t easy at first – in part because, in his day, girls were not unwilling to be cut. The belief that FGM was a rite of passage and a societal expectation was deeply engrained in everyone, including the girls themselves. “If a girl wasn’t cut, she would wonder why she hadn’t been cut like the others, and her mother would also complain,” explains Bamba. “So, she was willing.”

Through persistence and ongoing communication efforts, which included arranging radio shows and discussions at village events, Bamba and other fathers gradually built support for ending FGM. His wife, Soumtou, 42, now joins him in these efforts.

“I am happy to see my husband involved in the fight against FGM in the village,” she shares. “We work together; he leads discussions held in the village and surrounding villages. He takes me along, and we defend the topic of FGM together, as a woman is better listened to when speaking about FGM.”

“Many said I didn’t know what I was talking about,” adds Bamba. “They asked if I was normal, saying there was nothing wrong with cutting a girl. But I never gave up, even when they said I didn’t know what I was talking about. Even when they said hurtful things, I endured it. I used opportunities, like when a woman had childbirth complications, to highlight the consequences of FGM – blood loss and other issues – and explained it was due to FGM.”

Religious leaders and community leaders join the anti-FGM movement

Kinda Touré, a 58-year-old imam and Fathers’ School member, integrates anti-FGM messages into his Friday sermons and teaches boys at his Koran school (daara) about respecting girls’ rights.

He recalls how, when he was a child, FGM was a tradition practised by grandparents and parents. “At the time, since I didn’t know the dangers and there was no prohibition, I saw it as something normal and good. Any practice we don’t know and that isn’t forbidden, we see as a good thing.”

Kinda’s campaigning for girls’ rights has transformed his daughter’s life, as she wasn’t subjected to FGM. She has graduated from secondary school, he says proudly, and runs a small business.

“Today, we see that non-cut women live well with their husbands, without issues,” he notes. “The girls are doing better in school and are more successful.”

Abdourahmane, 56, is a village chief the Kédougou region, and also a member of the Fathers’ School. He grew up in a world where all young girls were cut, without question. Five years ago, when the Fathers’ Schools were established, Abdourahmane led his community in signing a pact to completely eradicate FGM, in collaboration with Plan International and its partners.

“The main challenge was that the community said they couldn’t abandon their traditions for this. They reminded me that my wife and children were cut, so why was I imposing this on them? They clung to their traditions,” says Abdourahmane.

But with repeated awareness campaigns and the support of Bamba, Abdourahmane assured community members that he wouldn’t ask them to do something that wasn’t for the good of their village. “The new generation thinks FGM is for the old days,” Abdourahmane adds. “Our new tradition is to say no to FGM, and it won’t change. It will only continue. Now, if anyone cuts their daughter, they will be reported to the authorities. There hasn’t been a cut girl since then, to my knowledge, and no reports have been made. The awareness campaigns were clear. I called families to abandon FGM.”

The next generation: How youth will continue the work to end FGM

Now that she is older, Fatou sometimes helps her father present awareness sessions. She says she is so proud of him – and sometimes embarrassed, too, she admits with a laugh.

“When my dad raises awareness about FGM, sometimes I feel embarrassed, because he talks about things that make me shy,” she says. “My friends tease me, saying, ‘Hey, your dad talks too much.’ But I’m very proud that my dad defends girls and fights against FGM. [Now we know that] FGM can affect a girl’s education. She loses a lot of blood, and some girls can even die. After FGM, she’ll fall behind in school because it takes time for her to recover, which puts her behind in her studies.”

Fatou understands that her dad’s work has sparked a profound shift in her life, a change that has allowed her to thrive as a girl in a community that values and uplifts its daughters.

“My dad’s involvement has ensured that I didn’t undergo FGM,” Fatou says, smiling as she hangs out with her friends. “He helped me avoid experiencing that pain. It has had a positive impact on my life, my health and my future.”