"If you fund women who are on the FGM frontline, they just get the job done." In this clip from How to Have Extraordinary Relationships, our Executive Director, Maggie O'Kane, joins author, therapist and coach Lucy Cavendish to discuss why ending FGM can only be achieved by funding frontline women's organisations. Drawing on 20 years of experience as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian and 13 years working in feminist development, Maggie explains why FGM, driven by different factors in every community, can only be eradicated by investing in local activists at scale and supporting the strategies they have developed themselves. She also explores how government funding can now be channelled directly to those on the frontline, without large international agencies taking a significant share of the resources. Thank you, Lucy Cavendish, for creating space for such an important conversation. 🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4u6… #EndFGM #FrontlineWomen #BornPerfect #GirlsRights #WomenLeadingChange #GrassrootsLeadership

The Born Perfect Caravans are expanding across the Somali Triangle. Following the launch of the first phase in Somalia and Kenya, the campaign is now preparing to expand into Ethiopia and Djibouti, bringing together grassroots organisations from five regions with one shared goal: ending FGM. The first phase, supported by the German Embassy in Nairobi, is already underway in Somalia and Kenya. Now, local leaders across the Somali Triangle are adapting and strengthening the Born Perfect model to reach more women, girls and communities across the region. This is one of the most ambitious grassroots collaborations against FGM ever launched across the Horn of Africa—and it's only just beginning. Follow the journey and explore the campaign here: 👉frontlineendingfgm.org/somal… #EndFGM #BornPerfect #SomaliTriangle #Djibouti #Ethiopia #GirlsRights #GrassrootsLeadership #HornOfAfrica #WomenAndGirls #Kenya #Somalia

97% of women in Wajir County have undergone FGM. On 8 July, @WOWN_Kenya launched three days of Born Perfect FGM Eradication Caravans bringing the law the last mile across Wajir County. Escorted by local police, the caravans travelled through villages with a simple message: girls are born perfect. "Our village finally felt included", one community member told the activists. 👉 Watch the highlights. #EndFGM #StopFGM #KomeshaFGMSasa #BornPerfectCaravans #Kenya

Last weekend, London became a place of celebration for the people whose work to end FGM too often goes unseen. The inaugural Global Comfort NO2FGM Awards UK 2026 brought together activists, healthcare professionals, educators, community leaders and organisations who have dedicated years—often decades—to protecting women and girls and driving change from the ground up. We congratulate every individual and organisation recognised, from grassroots advocates and community champions to healthcare professionals, educators and campaigners. Each award represents countless conversations, difficult decisions, and lives changed. We would also like to recognise @GlobalComfort_ Dr Comfort Momoh (h.c) MBE, FRCM, whose decades of leadership have helped shape the global movement to end FGM. Through her work as a midwife, advocate and founder of the NO2FGM initiative, she has transformed care for survivors, influenced policy, trained professionals and created a platform that celebrates those leading this work every day. Recognition matters. For grassroots organisations especially, moments like these shine a light on work that is too often carried out quietly, with limited resources but extraordinary determination. They remind us that behind every step forward are people who have earned the trust of their communities and continue to create lasting change, one conversation at a time. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to building a future where every girl can grow up free from FGM. #EndFGM #WomenAndGirls #CommunityLeadership #GenderEquality #GrassrootsLeadership #NO2FGM