Nigeria : CAGeM

Mission Statement
The Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation is committed to the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM). CAGeM links grassroots activism in countries that still practice FGM to foster communication, information and strategy sharing. The mission of the campaign is to ensure that countries practicing FGM adopt a definitive strategy to end FGM and provide protection to women and girls who flee their countries for fear of being mutilated. The campaign focuses on developing and implementing educational programs to eradicate FGM and assisting victims (see Restoring Victims). The campaign emphasizes health education and also provides alternate career education as a tool towards eradication. CAGeM is committed to initiating and supporting grassroots anti-FGM campaigns around the world.

Visit their site: www.cagem.org

HeadQuarters: 11 Arochukwu Street Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Organization Contacts

Contact Person/Office: International Relations
Email: campaign@cagem.org

Organization Details

The commitment against the practice of FGM dates to the early 1960s. By 1997 research on female circumsicion by the World Health Organization revealed several detrimental health consequences on the practice. Physicians united against this practice and since then promoted an organized campaign specifically against FGM and teamed up with several advocacy organizations.

The Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation started with health educational programs in small communities and has been instumental in the eradication and banning of FGM in several communities.

In 2003, the First Lady of Nigeria and spokesperson for the campaign, Stella Obasanjo, declared February 6th the international day of Zero Tolerance Against FGM.

The campaign has grown to include presenting educational workshops in larger communities around the world and assisting victims of FGM. Currently the campaign against FGM has taken roots in several countries with thousands of communities abandoning the practice and several countries banning FGM. This number continues to grow.

Although most campaigns are in Africa, immigrant communities in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia still practice FGM and are targets of specialized campaigns.

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