Vision Statement
“Eradicate harmful cultural practices against women and girls by providing awareness of alternative rites of passage and empowering communities to sustain positive change.”
To achieve this vision we work on two key issues: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Early Enforced Marriages
Our approach to these issues includes community engagement and government lobbying, in recognition that many levels must be engaged to end these practices.
Engaging with the communities affected by FGM and child marriage is the basis Keep Girls Safe Foundation work. Our programs will enable women and girls from affected communities to gain the confidence and skills to become advocates for change.
Our work on FGM, child and marriage is informed by research carried out by women and girls in their communities. This enables them to become champions of the change they want to see, and ensures that our work is based on the community’s expressed needs.
Female Genital Mutilation
FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It is a result of deep-rooted inequality of the sexes, constituting an extreme form of discrimination against women. As asserted by the World Health Organization: “The practice violates a person’s rights to health, security, physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.”
Forced Marriages
Forced marriage is any marriage performed without the valid consent of both parties, in which physical or emotional trauma is a factor. Forced marriage is a violation of human rights that destroys young women’s lives. It undermines women’s health, education, economic opportunities, and increases their risk of experiencing violence. Early enforced marriage includes children and anyone under 18 and is a violation of human rights that disproportionately affects girls and women, often leading to social isolation and violence. More than 700 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. More than one in three (about 250 million) entered into union before age 15 worldwide.
