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Efua Dorkenoo

Efua Dorkenoo

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Efua Dorkenoo, OBE, is the Advocacy Director, FGM programme in Equality Now’s London office. She is also a trained bio-social scientist in public health and an honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Health Sciences at City University, London. Starting in the early 1980s, her pioneering work on FGM has contributed to the international recognition of FGM as a public health and a human rights issue. From 1995-2001, she worked as the WHO’s first technical expert at their Geneva headquarters and assisted the organization in introducing FGM onto the agendas of the Ministries of Health of WHO Member States. Ms. Dorkenoo was awarded the British State Honours - OBE (Order of the British Empire) by the British Queen in recognition of her work as the founder of the UK NGO FORWARD in 1994 and for her campaigning work against FGM. In 2000, along with Gloria Steinem, she received Equality Now’s international human rights award for her lifelong activism on the issue of women’s rights. Ms. Dorkenoo’s book, 'Cutting the Rose: Female Genital Mutilation, The Practice and its Prevention' (Minority Rights Publications 1994), was considered a first on FGM and was selected by an international jury for inclusion on the 2002 prestigious book list, “Africa 100 Best Books for the 20th Century.”

Blog Entries by Efua Dorkenoo

We Cannot Eradicate Extreme Poverty Without Confronting the Root Causes of FGM

(4) Comments | Posted 19 April 2013 | (10:48)

Last April, Prime Minister David Cameron, along with Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, were appointed by Ban Ki-moon as joint chairpersons for a high-level UN panel, the aim of which is to decide what should be prioritised after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)...

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FGM Is Not 'Cultural': It Is Violence against Women and Girls

(11) Comments | Posted 28 March 2013 | (13:08)

With: Nimco Ali, Co-Founder, Daughters of Eve

The DFID Initiative

We are heartened by this month's announcement by DFID of up to £35 million to address the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) overseas and strongly commend the department on its new initiative.  From speaking with affected Diaspora...

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Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: At Last We Are Making Real Progress

(0) Comments | Posted 5 February 2013 | (11:19)

On the 10th 'International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)' it is heartening to look back at the significant progress that has been made recently both in the UK and further afield. 

The Successes

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a global abuse of...

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NSPCC Finally Considers Female Genital Mutilation a Child Protection Issue

(6) Comments | Posted 11 January 2013 | (09:42)

After working to get female genital mutilation (FGM) onto the child protection agenda for over 20 years in the UK, I am pleased that it is finally being officially considered a key child safeguarding issue. In the context of the World Health Organisation definition of child abuse, an official...

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UN Global Ban on Female Genital Mutilation Is a Landmark Event

(0) Comments | Posted 21 December 2012 | (21:40)

I wholeheartedly welcome the landmark passing of the UN resolution, which calls for a global ban on female genital mutilation (FGM).  This represents the first time that the General Assembly has agreed to include the elimination of FGM on its agenda.  Its adoption represents the culmination of years of...

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Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation in the UK: The Way Forward

(24) Comments | Posted 3 December 2012 | (23:00)


Equality Now has just been named Secretariat for the second year running of the cross party Parliamentary body, which focuses exclusively on addressing female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK.

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on FGM comprises more than 50 MPs and peers, representing all...

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