The Justice for Girls Convening & Festival will take place in Kenya soon, bringing together activists, survivors, policymakers and governments, funders, and leaders committed to ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage in this generation. It is a space for bold ideas, shared strategies, and collective action, grounded in lived experience and global collaboration, at a critical moment for the gender justice community.
In the lead-up to the convening, we’ve been speaking with advocates and survivor expert leaders from around the world about what this moment means for the movement, what they hope participants will accomplish in Kenya, and the future they’re working to build together.
Below, Advocate and Survivor Expert Leader, Valerie Lolomari, MBE, reflects on the support needed to push this movement forward, the power of art in activism, and why survivors must be at the forefront of this movement.
About the Author: Reverend Valerie Lolomari, MBE, CF, JP is the Founder and CEO of Women of Grace UK, a survivor-led organization supporting women and girls affected by female genital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence, and trauma. She is a resilience coach, mental health practitioner, ordained minister, and internationally recognized advocate committed to restoring dignity, promoting healing, and influencing policy. As a survivor of FGM, she uses both her lived experience and professional expertise to champion survivor-centered practice, strengthen grassroots organizations, and create safe spaces where women and girls can heal, rebuild their confidence, and thrive. Her work has influenced local, national, and international conversations on ending FGM and advancing the rights of women and girls.
Centering Survivors as Leaders
For Valerie, getting involved in the Justice for Girls Convening and Festival was a deeply personal decision.
“For me, this is not simply a campaign. It is deeply personal. I know the lifelong impact that FGM has on a girl’s body, mind, and future because I have lived through it. My journey has shown me that survivors are not just victims of harmful practices. We are leaders, experts, and agents of change. I joined this movement because I believe no girl should ever have to experience what millions of us have endured. Every girl deserves to grow up safe, valued, and free to make choices about her own life.”
“Justice for Girls represents hope. It brings together survivors, communities, governments, and partners with one shared purpose, ending FGM and child marriage within a generation. I want to be part of building that future and ensuring that the voices of survivors remain at the centre of every decision that affects our lives.”
At the Justice for Girls Convening and Festival, a movement-led global action plan will be announced to guide the next five years of strategic movement building. Valerie hopes the plan will translate the momentum of the convening into practical, sustainable action.
“Grassroots organisations are doing extraordinary work with very limited resources. We need long-term investment that allows survivor-led organisations to grow sustainably instead of constantly competing for short-term funding. I also hope the plan strengthens prevention through education, supports survivors with accessible health and mental health services, improves safeguarding systems, and holds governments accountable for the commitments they have already made. Most importantly, I want to see survivors involved at every level, from planning and funding decisions to research, policy development, and evaluation. Nothing about us should ever be decided without us. “
It is essential that this global convening is survivor‑led because those who have experienced FGM/C and child marriage understand their realities in ways that no else could.
“Survivors bring something that cannot be learned from books or reports. We bring lived experience, credibility, and a deep understanding of what our communities need. Our voices ensure that solutions are practical, respectful, and centred on those most affected.
“At the same time, allies are equally important. Ending FGM and child marriage requires governments, healthcare professionals, educators, faith leaders, funders, researchers, and communities to work alongside survivors. Real change happens when lived experience and professional expertise stand together with mutual respect.”
“A survivor-led movement supported by committed allies creates a partnership where everyone has a role, but the voices of those most affected remain at the heart of the work.”
Survivors also have a deep understanding of the challenges this movement faces in a time of rising authoritarianism.
“We must respond with truth, compassion, and courage. Harmful practices are often defended using culture, tradition, or misinformation, but no tradition should justify violence against girls.”
“We need to invest in community education, engage trusted faith and community leaders, amplify survivor voices, and involve men and boys as part of the solution. We must also use evidence to challenge myths while respecting communities and creating opportunities for honest dialogue. The conversation should never be about attacking culture. It should be about protecting girls and promoting the values of dignity, equality, and human rights that every child deserves.”
A Place for Healing and Advocacy
The convening places a strong emphasis on survivor wellbeing alongside a festival celebrating music, art, and storytelling. By bringing activism, healing, and creative expression together, the gathering creates opportunities for survivors to share their stories in ways that feel authentic and safe.
“Advocacy can be emotionally demanding. Many survivors spend years telling painful parts of their story in order to create change. Without spaces for healing, we risk asking survivors to keep giving while receiving very little in return. Healing restores strength, confidence, and hope. It allows survivors to rediscover who they are beyond the trauma. Music, art, storytelling, and shared experiences remind us that we are more than what happened to us.”
“I have seen this through the work of Women of Grace UK. When women are given safe spaces to heal, they begin to believe in themselves again. They become leaders in their families, communities, and organisations. Healing is not separate from advocacy. It is what makes lasting advocacy possible.”
“One lesson I have learned through Women of Grace UK is that people heal best in places where they feel seen, heard, and believed. Many women come to us carrying years of silence, shame, and isolation. Before they can advocate for others, they often need someone to simply listen without judgement. When we create safe, compassionate spaces, confidence begins to return. Women discover their voice, support one another, and often become leaders themselves. That is the model I hope to share. Survivor-centred work is not only about responding to trauma. It is about recognising strengths, building resilience, and creating opportunities for women to lead change in their own communities.”
The convening will also be a place where a new fund is announced to mobilize resources for FGM/C. Giving grassroots organizations and activists the chance to advocate for better and more sustainable funding practices.
“Long-term investment changes everything. It allows organisations to plan beyond the next funding deadline and focus on lasting impact rather than survival. Sustained funding means we can provide consistent support for survivors, recruit and retain skilled staff, strengthen safeguarding, measure our impact properly, and build trusted relationships within communities. It also allows survivor leaders to develop their organisations with confidence and create opportunities for the next generation of advocates. The organisations closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. Investing in grassroots organisations is one of the most effective ways to create lasting change.”
Looking Ahead
The convening aims to serve as a catalyst for the movements to end FGM/C and child marriage, and advocates like Valerie are determined to ensure that the momentum built in Kenya continues long after participants return home.
“We need clear commitments, measurable goals, shared accountability, and regular opportunities to learn from one another. I would like to see stronger international partnerships, continued collaboration between survivor-led organisations, and mechanisms that allow us to share resources, knowledge, and good practice throughout the year. If everyone leaves Kenya committed to taking one practical action within their own community, and we continue to support one another afterwards, this convening will have created something much bigger than a conference. It will have strengthened a global movement.”
“My hope is that history will look back on this moment as a turning point, when the world chose to stand with girls rather than harmful practices. I hope the legacy is a stronger, more united global movement where survivor leadership is recognized, respected, and properly resourced. I hope governments move from promises to action, communities continue difficult conversations with compassion, and every girl grows up knowing that her body belongs to her and that her future is full of possibility. “
“Most of all, I hope future generations will hear about FGM and child marriage as practices that existed in history, not as realities they still have to fear.”
