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GLOBAL LEADERS UNITE IN KENYA FOR HISTORIC CONVENING TO HELP END FGM/C AND CHILD MARRIAGE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLOBAL LEADERS UNITE IN KENYA FOR HISTORIC CONVENING TO HELP END FGM/C AND CHILD MARRIAGE

NAIROBI / NAIVASHA, Kenya (Aug. 30- Sept. 4, 2026) —  Around 150 global leaders, including survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage from 36 countries, will convene in Naivasha, Kenya, for the three-day Justice for Girls convening that kicks off on September 2nd, 2026.  The international gathering will feature the launch of a catalytic new fund to resource the movement to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and a movement-led five-year roadmap to accelerate efforts to end FGM/C worldwide.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Journalists can access the full press kit here, including key facts and statistics on FGM/C and child marriage, survivor and expert quotes, photos and additional background materials.

Ahead of the major gathering and festival in Naivasha, the three-part series of events will begin on August 30 with Fashion for Change, a survivor- and African Queen-led runway event in Nairobi that will use fashion and storytelling to challenge the social norms that sustain FGM/C and center survivors as advocates, leaders and agents of change. Then on September 1, a high-level policy event in Nairobi will be co-hosted by the British High Commission and the Anti-FGM Board of Kenya, bringing together senior government representatives, diplomatic missions, multilateral organizations, funders, survivor leaders and civil society organizations. Discussions will focus on renewing political and financial commitments and strengthening collaboration across governments, communities and civil society. 

The priorities and commitments that emerge from the Nairobi event will help shape the survivor- and community-led discussions that follow in Naivasha on September 2, where the convening will feature the launch of an unprecedented new pooled fund to support the global movement to end FGM/C and advance justice for girls. Seeded with a major commitment from Wallace Global Fund, a U.S.-based foundation that has supported work to end FGM/C for over 40 years, the catalytic fund seeks to raise $100 million to accelerate efforts to end FGM/C, particularly frontline and survivor-led work that has been chronically underfunded. Survivors and activists will shape the fund’s strategic direction and grantmaking decisions. Media may access an embargoed press release with additional details on the fund and its launch here when the embargo lifts Wednesday, September 2 at 11:00 AM (EAT).

“A growing global movement is determined to end FGM/C and advance justice for girls. Unfortunately, funding is not keeping pace with the movement’s tenacity, creativity, and resilience,”said Susan Gibbs, Wallace Global Fund’s senior advisor on women’s rights and FGM. “Wallace Global Fund will be announcing the launch of an unprecedented, pooled fund in Naivasha that will back movement-led strategies and solutions. By following the lead of survivors and frontline leaders, we can drive toward a tipping point of ridding the world of FGM/C and we can prevent more girls from being harmed.” 

The Naivasha event will also feature the launch of “Unstoppable: Our Movement-led Collective Vision for Ending FGM/C”, a five-year roadmap co-created by a diverse coalition of survivors, grassroots organizations, funders, and policymakers. Developed in the months leading up to the convening, this roadmap explicitly recognizes the connection between FGM/C and child marriage, setting shared priorities for survivor leadership, narrative change, and cross-movement collaboration.

The convening comes at a critical juncture for the global movement. One year after the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. foreign aid disbursements fell from $72 billion to $47 billion, while funding for thousands of development programs was cut. At the same time, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that 20 of its 32 Development Assistance Committee members reduced funding for gender equality in 2021–2022, with further declines expected following major reductions by several donor governments.

Building on the legacy of the 2014 Girls Summit hosted by the UK government and UNICEF, the convening reflects a central lesson from the past decade: lasting progress depends on investing in the people leading change. Survivors and grassroots organizations will not simply attend — they will lead in shaping the agenda, priorities, and outcomes with support from coalitions such as the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C and Girls Not Brides. Overall, this convening aims to strengthen partnerships and inspire renewed commitment to justice, protection, and freedom for women and girls worldwide.

Convening at a glance:

  • What: Justice for Girls, a series of events culminating in a three-day global convening and festival to end FGM/C and child marriage within a generation.
  • When: August 30–September 4, 2026
  • Where: Nairobi and Naivasha, Kenya
  • Who: Survivors, grassroots organizations, funders, policymakers, researchers, artists, advocates, community leaders, and other partners from around the world.
  • Key Outcomes: Launch a new global pooled fund to advance justice for girls and “Unstoppable: Our Movement-led Collective Vision for Ending FGM/C,” a five-year roadmap.
  • Three Events:
  • Aug. 30: Fashion for Change Show. Held in Nairobi, the fashion show will bring art and creative expression into the event, using fashion as a platform to raise awareness and build momentum around efforts to end FGM/C and child marriage.

Voices From the Movement

“For too long, the conversations about ending FGM/C and child marriage have happened in rooms where the people most affected are rarely in the center. In Naivasha, we are changing that. This convening isn’t just about resource mobilization; it’s about finally creating a space where we don’t have to explain our pain or justify our expertise. We are coming together to heal, to connect, and to rewrite the future of this movement on our own terms, with our own stories, and with the collective power of those who have lived this reality.” —Mariya Taher, Co-founder & Executive Director, Sahiyo (based in the United States, South Asian background)

“For those of us who survived FGM/C and child marriage, this work is rooted in lived experience, memories, resilience, and the determination to ensure no girl endures what we did.  And because we have lived this reality, we also carry the knowledge of what truly drives change. We have seen mothers shift their beliefs, elders rethink traditions, and entire communities choose protection over harm. Progress is real, but it is fragile, and backsliding is already costing girls their futures. Survivor‑led movements are holding the line with limited resources, yet still delivering impact. Imagine what we could accelerate with the support needed to match the scale of our commitment.” —Fatou Baldeh MBE – CEO and Founder; Women In Liberation and Leadership (2025 TIME Women of the Year, Gambian background)

“Young people are not the leaders of tomorrow; we are leading today. Ending child marriage and FGM/C requires more than commitments; it requires meaningful investment in survivor and youth-led solutions. This convening is a powerful reminder that when young people, survivors, communities, and decision-makers work together as equal partners, we can transform systems, challenge harmful norms, and build a future where every girl is free to choose her own path. Our voices, experiences, and leadership must not only be heard but trusted and resourced.”— Gloriah Kagwe, Youth Advisory Panel, Girls Not Brides Kenya 

“One of the biggest hurdles we face is funding, without which our ability to carry out community-based programmes is severely limited. When it comes to women’s and children’s rights, global funding structures have been lopsided for far too long, with survivor-led grassroots organisations in communities of colour getting the very short end of the stick. This is precisely the problem the Justice for Girls movement aims to address.” — Aarefa Johari, Co-founder, Sahiyo (based in India, Indian background)

“Survivors should be recognized as experts, not simply pitied as victims or invited only to share painful stories. Many survivors are organisers, researchers, healthcare workers, lawyers, artists, religious leaders, and community educators. Their knowledge should shape movement priorities, funding decisions, research agendas, and policy conversations.” — Saza Faradilla, Co-founder, End FGC Singapore (based in Thailand, Singaporean background)

“This convening provides a space where survivors do not have to explain themselves.” — Dena Igusti, Survivor Expert Leader (based in the United States, Indonesian background)

Overall, this convening will leave behind lasting change — not only through a new funding initiative and five-year roadmap, but by strengthening the partnerships needed to end FGM/C and child marriage within a generation.

“Ultimately, I want this convening to be remembered as a turning point that accelerates collective action, shifts power to those most affected, and brings us closer to a world where every girl can live free from violence, discrimination, and harmful practices.”  — Isatou Jeng, Survivor Expert Leader (based in the United States, Gambian background)

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:

Convening Organizers & Planning Committee

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Women in Liberation and Leadership

Women in Liberation & Leadership (WILL) is a survivor-led grassroots movement in The Gambia, driven by women who have endured Female Genital Mutilation and are now leading the fight to end it. Rooted in lived experience, WILL empowers survivors to reclaim agency over their bodies and choices, while mobilising communities to protect girls from FGM, child marriage, and gender-based violence. By building alliances with local institutions, civil society, and international partners, WILL ensures that change is not imposed from outside but grows from within, anchored in survivor leadership and community action to secure justice and dignity for future generations.

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Wallace Global Fund

The Wallace Global Fund is a private grantmaking foundation based in Washington, D.C. Founded by Henry A. Wallace, a Vice President to Franklin Roosevelt a progressive leader, the Fund champions people-powered movement building and works to advance democracy, climate action, and racial, economic and gender justice. The Fund has been committed to ending female genital mutilation (FGM) since its inception. The Fund works to break the silence around FGM by directing its resources to survivor-led movements, frontline activists, and national, regional, and global advocacy organizations. The Fund plans to cease operations in December 2026. However, the Fund is developing a new FGM Frontline Funding and Advocacy Initiative. that will extend its longstanding work on FGM beyond the Fund’s closure and provide a catalytic funding mechanism for other donors. The Initiative will provide consistent, flexible funding and support to: (1) frontline organizations working on ending FGM, and (2) a movement support hub, which will direct resources to regional and global FGM intermediaries and organizations, support media and communications outreach and training, and launch a survivor leadership fellowship component. The Initiative will be officially launched at the FGM & Child Marriage Justice for Girls Convening & Festival.

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There is No Limit Foundation

There Is No Limit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) international nonprofit organization. It’s a women-led organization committed to advancing dignity, security, and justice through advocacy, maternal health, and economic empowerment. Founded by two Guinean-American sisters, Mariama Camara and Aissata M.B. Camara. Based in New York City for the past 24 years, the foundation was built on the belief that women are the cornerstone of thriving communities. TINLF works to break cycles of poverty and violence by centering women and girls in everything we do.

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The Vavengers

The Vavengers is a women and survivor-led movement working to end Female Genital Mutilation and intersecting Violence Against Women and Girls. The campaigning work focuses on improving health, legal and education systems through survivor-led advocacy work, convenings create safe spaces where businesses, civil society, members of communities, government representatives and funders can get together to work towards the shared goal of ending Gender-Based Violence and our connect work builds up community members by connecting them with critical services to make meaningful change in their life while removing vulnerabilities that leave new generations face. The Vavengers builds evidence through reputable policy frameworks and reports, runs survivor-led frontline workshops and works with a local-to-global approach to end FGM and intersecting violence such as forced marriage in our lifetime. The Vavengers also advocates for these forms of violence to be recognised as forms of modern slavery and sexual violence against women and girls, shifting the narrative to survivor-led in media, policy, education and community settings. The Vavengers understand and strongly believe, when women and girls rise, we all thrive.

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The U.S. End FGM/C Network

The U.S. End FGM/C Network is a collaborative group of around 200 members, including FGM/C survivors, civil society organizations, foundations, activists, policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers, and others committed to promoting the abandonment of FGM/C in the U.S. and globally.

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The Girl Generation

The Girl Generation - Support to the Africa Led Movement to End FGM Programme (TGG-ALM) is implemented by a consortium led by Options Consultancy Services and includes Amref Health Africa, ActionAid, Orchid Project, and Africa Coordination Centre for Abandonment of FGM. It works closely with the Population Council’s Data Hub, the programme’s data and measurement arm. The program continues to support and build the capacity of the existing Africa-led Movement to end FGM at multiple levels and at scale. The programme does not work in isolation but partners with the rest of the end FGM movement globally, including UN agencies.

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The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW)

The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women is a non-profit women’s NGO with a consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and an observer status with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ARROW has been working since 1993 to champion women and young people’s sexual and reproductive rights. ARROW occupies a strategic niche in the Asia Pacific region and is a Global South-based, feminist, and women-led organisation that focuses on the equality, gender, health, and human rights of women.

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Sahiyo

Sahiyo is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Asian and other communities to end female genital cutting (FGM/C) through dialogue, education, and collaboration rooted in community involvement. Founded in 2015, Sahiyo centers survivor voices, particularly within South Asian diasporas, and is guided by a commitment to bodily autonomy, consent, and the recognition of FGM/C as a human rights violation. Sahiyo works at the intersection of survivor-centered programming, community education, and systems change, centering the voices and lived experiences of women and girls from communities where FGM/C occurs. Sahiyo’s primary areas of work include survivor-centered healing spaces, community storytelling, intergenerational dialogue, professional education, and cross-sector capacity-building.

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Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C

The Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C is a consortium of civil society organizations, champions, survivors, and grassroots representatives united in a singular mission: to support the abandonment and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The core group includes Amref Health Africa, African Women Rights Advocates (AWRA), Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), End FGM/C Africa Network, End FGM Canada Network, End FGM European Network, Equality Now, Orchid Project, Sahiyo, The U.S. End FGM/C Network, There Is No Limit Foundation, Tostan, The Girl Generation, The Asia Network to end FGM/C, and The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices.

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Girls Not Brides

Girls Not Brides is a global partnership of civil society organisations dedicated to ending child marriage and supporting girls to realise their full rights and potential. Founded in 2011, the partnership brings together more than 1,400 member organisations across over 100 countries, including grassroots groups, national coalitions, international NGOs, research institutions, and advocacy networks. As a collective, Girls Not Brides connects members, fosters collaboration, and strengthens shared efforts to address child marriage in all its forms, recognising it as both a human rights violation and a barrier to sustainable development. The partnership works at local, national, regional, and global levels to drive change through evidence-based advocacy, policy influence, and knowledge generation. By convening diverse actors and centring locally led solutions, Girls Not Brides plays a pivotal role in advancing coordinated, inclusive, and sustainable action to end child marriage and promote gender equality worldwide. Girls Not Brides Kenya is a national partnership of over 135 civil society organisations working at both national and grassroots levels to influence policy and budget decisions that help end child marriage. Established in 2017 as the End Child Marriage Network Kenya, it officially became Girls Not Brides Kenya in 2020. The national partnership aims to amplify the voices of girls across Kenya to realise a society where all girls enjoy their rights and reach their full potential.The partnership operates across 14 regions, coordinated by regional leads, and covers Kenya’s 47 counties.

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Orchid Project

Orchid Project is an international NGO, with offices in Nairobi and London, working at the forefront of the global movement to create a world free from FGM/C. Orchid Project was founded in 2011, and our approach remains centred on working with grassroots and geographically wider partners to provide communities with the tools they need to make long-lasting steps towards abandoning cutting for themselves. Our approach is community-centric, but aimed at achieving larger-scale change by catalysing a movement of organisations, youth and survivor activists, politicians, ambassadors and leaders at all levels, in the areas where we are most experienced. We do this by: i) undertaking research, generating evidence and curating knowledge to better equip those working to end FGM/C; ii) supporing and catalysing regional networks; iii) influencing global and regional policies, actions and funding towards ending FGM/C.

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Equality Now

Equality Now is a worldwide human rights organisation dedicated to securing the legal and systemic change needed to end discrimination against all women and girls. Since its inception in 1992, it has played a role in reforming 130 discriminatory laws globally, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of women and girls, their communities and nations, both now and for generations to come. Working with partners at national, regional and global levels, Equality Now draws on deep legal expertise and a diverse range of social, political and cultural perspectives to continue to lead the way in steering, shaping and driving the change needed to achieve enduring gender equality, to the benefit of all.

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End FGM Canada Network

The End FGM Canada Network is a non-partisan group of survivors, individuals and organizations working to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and support survivors both in Canada and abroad. The Network unites members and stakeholders across Canada to share knowledge and foster collaboration within the field of FGM/ C, with a focus on creating platforms for engagement and offering trauma-informed culturally sensitive tools to enable frontline professionals to address FGM/C in Canadian communities. We also work with our international partners to advance the discourse and human rights battle to end FGM/C worldwide.

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End Female Genital Cutting Singapore

End Female Genital Cutting Singapore envisions a world where female genital cutting (FGC), in Singapore and globally, is obsolete. We work to shift paradigms within Muslim communities by promoting medically accurate understandings of harm and recognising the diversity of religious interpretations on FGC. Alongside this, we engage and advocate with healthcare professionals, religious leaders, and policymakers to encourage clear and accountable public positions on the practice. We also educate the wider public, fostering solidarity and meaningful allyship from non-Muslim communities through accessible education, social media engagement, and concrete avenues for action.

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Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW)

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African Women's Rights Advocates

African Women’s Rights Advocates (AWRA) is a Pan-African, survivor-centred movement advancing the rights, dignity, and leadership of African women and girls across the continent and the diaspora. As a holistic and intersectional collective of frontline activists, grassroots leaders, and changemakers, AWRA works across borders and generations to dismantle systemic injustices and end violence against women and girls in all its forms. Rooted in a “for us, by us” ethos, the movement centres African women’s voices in global gender justice spaces while challenging colonial power dynamics in funding, policy, and narratives.

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