#EndFGM: Men's Voices — Woven Ink

To mark International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation - 6th February 2021- we have launched two new films to add to the #EndFGM animation series. These animations are aimed specifically at men in FGM practicing communities. As in the previous animations, which adopted a non-didactic approach, the films are scripted from recordings of the personal reflections of men and their views about FGM and finding a way forward to abandon the practice.

These films have been developed by Janet Fyle, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and Woven Ink in collaboration with The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), Survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), NGOs and a variety of local community partners.

Please note that these films may contain triggers for some, as they contain themes and references to sexual abuse, violence, child abuse and rape.

#EndFGM

ANIMATION CREDITS

Created by Woven Ink

Directors Isolde Godfrey & Jess Harvey

Executive Producer Janet Fyle

Artist & Animator Marcel O'Leary & Caroline Rudge

Scriptwriters Isolde Godfrey, Jess Harvey & Janet Fyle

Associate Producer Leyla Hussain

Voiceover Artists Darneil Owens (Father), Talal Karkouti (Friend & Uncle) & Jake Yeboah JR (Nephew)

Intercollegiate Group Janet Fyle (Royal College of Midwives), Dahlia Project, Obi Amadi (Unite CPHVA), FORWARD, Amber Janjua (Royal College of General Practitioners), Zoë Moulton & Emma Parnham (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists), The Vavengers, Royal College of Nursing, Integrate UK, Equality Now & Deqa Dirie

Acknowledgments NHS England, Kwame Lestrade, Astrid Fairclough (NHS), Bishara Mohamud (Anti-Tribalism Movement), Victor Momoh, Andrew Lewis (Home Office), Tamara Dale, Women and Families Health Services in Tower Hamlets & Orchid Project

Thank you to all of the men who shared their stories and joined us in conversations.

Click here to view films translated in Arabic, French, Somali and Swahili

Illustrations from the social media campaign.

Artwork by Isolde Godfrey, Jess Harvey, Blanche Ellis, Marcel O'Leary, Gill Ha, Sarah Burgess, Ada Music and Caroline Rudge

Click here to see films from the rest of the series…

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#EndFGM: Women's Voices

Importantly, each of the FGM animations ends with a ‘call to action’ on each UK Government and includes the following:

- Review the approach and strategies to ending FGM, and introduce a strategic role for men as allies to spearhead a sustained change in order to reach the global goal to end FGM by 2030.

- Recognise all impacts of FGM; the physical and mental health consequences, the consequences felt within relationships, families and communities, the isolation, stigma and inequalities caused.

- Refocus the End FGM campaign to recognise FGM as, violence against women and girls and a human rights violation.

- Acknowledge that in the many contexts in which FGM happens, neither women nor men are acting in isolation.

If you have been affected by the content of these videos, please get in touch with one of the following organisations:

NHS.UK/FGM

NSPCC

Dahlia Project

FORWARD