Characteristics of campaigns to combat FGM/C
In 2011, a false rumour originating in a village near Siguiri spread rapidly throughout the Kankan region and beyond. According to this rumour, there was a contagious disease in the country, allegedly caused by a microbe found in the genitalia of uncut girls (and uncircumcised boys). It was claimed that any child who contracted the disease would die within three days. The rumourmongers, both men and women, insisted that there was no cure or preventive measure other than to undergo FGM/C. This caused widespread panic among parents, many of whom, driven by fear, had their daughters (and sons) cut. The exact origin of this false rumour remains unclear, but some believe it was invented by traditional practitioners (circumcisers, also known as cutters). By spreading this rumour, they probably wanted to encourage parents to have their daughters undergo FGM/C, thereby securing a source of income (Tatout et al. 2012).
Faced with this upsurge in FGM/C, two organisations (one based in Kankan, Guinea, and the other in Belgium) launched a campaign aimed at preventing local communities from cutting their daughters. As mentioned, the Guinean NGO is ASD, while its Belgian counterpart, Aniké, provides human and financial resources to support ASD in implementing activities in the field. The campaign/s consist of several components, which are explained in detail below.
Working sessions with Kankan Radio Rurale
Discussions between ASD and a Kankan radio station, Radio Rurale, helped to identify the villages where girls are most at risk of being cut. Local elected representatives and the villages’ moral and religious authorities were identified and contacted to prepare for the arrival of the joint ASD/Aniké and Radio Rurale mission. A community assembly was then planned in the village. These assemblies gathered the following village members around the sotikèmo (village elder): local elected representatives, elders, women (adult and elderly), young people (girls and boys), and resource persons (teachers, health workers, et al.).
Gatherings with village chiefs
Each campaign begins with the two NGOs seeking the approval of the village chiefs, who are known as les sages du village (the village wise men). An official delegation from ASD and Aniké, accompanied by staff from Radio Rurale, presents itself and the campaign and requests permission to launch a sensibilisation (awareness-raising) campaign in their village. Whenever possible, a prominent member of Guinean society with strong views against FGM/C joins the delegation. For example, the director of Radio Rurale, which is the main information channel for the local population, attended these meetings and played a crucial role in the campaigns.
Baseline surveys
After the 2011 anti-FGM/C campaign, which was designed to counter rumours, it was important to understand why the practice continued before implementing further action, so baseline surveys were carried out. This was done mainly by trainees and health workers. Each village (ten in total) was surveyed over four days. In each village, the district president appointed a resource person from among the villagers to support the process. In collaboration with people on the ground, the surveys aimed to identify the actions and measures already taken against FGM/C, as well as the obstacles encountered. In addition, it was essential to know how the various stakeholders perceive FGM/C and the ongoing fight against it, and to use this knowledge to define an effective strategy against FGM/C.
Therefore, in 2012, a baseline survey was conducted in urban and rural areas to assess community perceptions of FGM/C in the Kankan prefecture. The survey revealed that the various problems encountered in the fight against FGM/C stemmed from inadequately defined strategies, inappropriate targeting of audiences, and insufficient monitoring of projects initiated and carried out in the field. In addition, the taboos surrounding the subject have contributed to a mystification of FGM/C, preventing the expected results from being achieved. Similarly, despite previous awareness campaigns and calls for effective, participatory action, there has been a lack of synergy and initiative on the part of women in general and rural communities in particular. The interviewed villagers noted that the local community was not fully engaged in these campaigns, with little collaboration between women and men, and even less interaction between different communities. This disconnect, coupled with the lack of ownership, is one of the reasons why many of the awareness-raising and advocacy efforts by civil society organisations have not succeeded in eliminating FGM/C. In addition, the survey revealed that communication between women and opinion leaders was virtually non-existent when it came to jointly defining strategies to eliminate FGM/C. This lack of dialogue, especially with religious and traditional leaders, is largely attributed to the cultural taboos surrounding the subject, which generally discourage open discussion between men and women on certain topics (Tatout et al. 2012). The results of this survey encouraged Aniké to fund an awareness campaign in three villages: Kassa (in the rural commune of Balandou), Gbéléma (in the rural commune of Koumban), and Djirlain (in the rural commune of Karifamoriah).
In 2013, after the first campaign against FGM/C, another survey was carried out to analyse the first campaign and assess community perceptions of FGM/C. This survey covered the first three villages of 2012 (Kassa, Gbéléma, Djirlain) and two new villages: Tenkelen (in the rural district of Karifamoriah) and Dabadou (in the rural district of Balandou).
In the three villages where awareness campaigns were carried out in 2012, it was found that taboos surrounding FGM/C have gradually diminished. Villagers have begun to openly discuss FGM/C, even in heterogeneous groups of different ages and genders. Opinion leaders (among them village elders and women leaders) have encouraged young girls to discuss the complications and social consequences of FGM/C in various settings. These interactions took place one-to-one or in small groups during home visits, while working in the fields, at the market, or in other everyday contexts, as well as in larger groups during community assemblies or more mixed meetings. The customary chiefs of each village (doyens), as well as local elected representatives (district councils), actively encouraged this open dialogue. In contrast, in the newly included villages of Dabadou and Tenkelen, women and men were reluctant to discuss FGM/C openly. They perceived such conversations as signs of a lack of education and considered it impolite to broach the subject in public, particularly in front of elders (Kaba 2013). The achievements made in the first three villages were reinforced, and the two new villages were included in a new awareness-raising and advocacy campaign for the abandonment of FGM/C.
Community assemblies
Each new annual or biannual campaign is launched in every village by a community assembly, bringing together all the community leaders (men and women) and other citizens to discuss strategies for combating FGM/C and early and child marriage. These community assemblies enable the campaign to be launched in the villages and gain the support of all social groups, with particular emphasis on older men and women leaders. Young boys and girls are also encouraged to participate and express their opinions.
The community assemblies last a full day in each village and are organised in partnership with Radio Rurale. Every year, Radio Rurale is involved in the awareness campaign, organising public broadcasts about FGM/C in all the villages covered by the campaign. These public broadcasts are a key strategy in the process as the literacy rate in the Kankan region in 2018–19 was only 29.3 per cent and radio is therefore of vital importance (INS 2023). Community assemblies, together with public broadcasts, have two main objectives: firstly, to introduce a new campaign in the village and gain the support of all social groups; secondly, to launch a discussion on the subject in the village and reach people who may not typically engage in campaign activities. The public meeting and broadcast begin with local folklore, including traditional music and songs. The radio presenter starts with general discussions before gradually shifting the focus to FGM/C and introducing the campaign. A quiz allows villagers to answer various questions about FGM/C, its complications, and women’s rights. The winners receive prizes such as buckets, pagnes (loincloths), and soap, which motivates the community and encourages active participation. These rewards are warmly welcomed and serve to energise and inspire further involvement. This quiz format, combined with folklore and animated presentations on the radio, encourages even those opposed to FGM/C to participate and express themselves openly. This creates a platform for discussing the subject within the village. Those who are most vocal in their opposition to FGM/C and who can mobilise others are invited to join a Comité de Vigilance Contre la Pratique de l’Excision (COVIPE), or FGM/C vigilance committee. Community participation and ownership are crucial to the success of the campaign.
FGM/C vigilance committees
These committees are established in each village. Their members include all the social categories in the village – elders, local elected representatives, adult women and men, girls and boys, traditional communicators, and so on. All the committee members receive training on FGM/C, its complications, and community strategies for abandoning FGM/C and early and child marriages.
1 The training, for ASD staff and trainees, and FGM/C vigilance committee members, also covers medical, legal, religious, and human rights perspectives on FGM/C. It includes communication strategies, community facilitation techniques, simulation activities, and reporting techniques, and also covers family planning, sexuality, and child and early marriage. It takes about five days on average. A central person from the vigilance committee is appointed to liaise with the local NGO (ASD) and ensure regular communication, with the selection process open to both men and women, typically based on election by the group’s members. The vigilance committees are responsible for identifying the needs and challenges within their community and discussing strategies for taking forward the campaign against FGM/C in their village. Committee members continue to inform their communities and raise awareness, even between campaigns. Ideally, FGM/C vigilance committees of all villages and the NGO ASD meet every three months at the NGO’s headquarters in Kankan to share experiences, learn lessons, and plan new initiatives.
Collaboration with local radio
The villages were selected mainly by two people from Radio Rurale, who are deeply rooted in the local community, have in-depth knowledge of FGM/C, and are firmly opposed to the practice. This radio station is also the farmers’ radio and aims to promote local culture; it is therefore highly respected by the population. The radio staff have a very good understanding of community dynamics and adapt their activities accordingly. The baseline survey also indicated that of all the stakeholders involved in the efforts to abandon FGM/C prior to the start of our campaigns, only this local radio station was well-perceived and trusted by the population. The broadcast messages on the dangers of FGM/C are also conveyed in a sensitive, non-confrontational, and peaceful manner.
At the launch and throughout the campaign, radio broadcasts are made by a team of journalists from Radio Rurale in each village, under the supervision of representatives of the NGO ASD. Public radio broadcasts are the ideal way to educate and communicate issues around FGM/C and early and child marriage. They mobilise the entire village population, including traditional chiefs, religious leaders, and traditional communicators. The use in these broadcasts of a question-and-answer format (dealing with the consequences of FGM/C, methods of combating it, recommendations, etc.) facilitates community ownership of the issue. Health and education professionals also take part. The broadcasts are of vital importance as they introduce the subject of FGM/C and provide opportunities for exchange and dialogue between community members, after paving the way for facilitators who will visit each village during the campaign.
Market gardens and agricultural inputs
In 2014, a van was made available to the local NGO to assist village women and young people with market gardening activities, enabling them to sell their produce. We observed that the vigilance committees subsequently had much less difficulty in raising awareness and making themselves heard. This observation was crucial, as it led us to implement strategies aimed at empowering the committees by facilitating small-scale economic activities. As a result, this empowerment has strengthened their effectiveness in awareness-raising campaigns.
In 2016–17, during an awareness campaign in the first five villages and three new ones, it became apparent at a field evaluation in the village of Dalabanin that, despite having several hectares of arable land, no agricultural activities were taking place due to a lack of equipment. The Dalabanin vigilance committee benefited from the supply of agricultural equipment, which was given to women to support market gardening activities. The aim was to support and empower them and give them the means to promote and protect the rights of women and girls, with particular emphasis on eliminating FGM/C and early and child marriage. Similarly, in the same year, the Tenkelen village vigilance committee received a shea butter processing machine. This butter press has not only enabled the women to earn a modest income but has also put them in contact with other villages through market sales. The women proudly explained that they had received the machine because of their active involvement with the vigilance committee in the fight against FGM/C, helping to break the silence around the practice and bring it into open discussion.
The role of health posts
Between 2017 and 2019, in response to a request from the local community, supported by the administrative and health authorities in Kankan, a health post was built in Dabadou, one of the villages involved in these campaigns. This health post has become one of the major successes of the campaign and is explained in more detail in the next section and under ‘Lessons learned’.
The impact of COVID
Between 2020 and 2022, COVID-19 had a significant impact on field activities. The pandemic posed significant challenges to campaign dynamics and the functioning of the vigilance committees in particular, mainly due to a shortage of funds and government restrictions on travel and gatherings. The work of many committees was put on hold, and needed to be revitalised afterwards. However, in 2020, a COVID-19 awareness campaign was organised in the ten villages by ASD/Aniké, to help the vigilance committees educate their communities about the virus and how to protect themselves. Health kits and thermometers were provided to the ten villages as well as to the health posts of Dabadou, Tenkelen, Djirlain, and Karifamoriah, through the two NGOs. This initiative has kept the network of villages and vigilance committees connected during the COVID years. During a field assessment visit in November 2023, several villagers from different communities expressed their gratitude to ASD/Aniké for not forgetting them during the pandemic. They believed that both NGOs understood the importance of not only combating FGM/C but also prioritising the health and survival of the village, which is why the villagers considered them reliable partners.