“Being a victim of female genital mutilation myself led me to work alongside girls to support them, and to raise parents’ awareness so that they would stop this practice,” says Mariame Dabo, who lives in Senegal. Mariame works with Amnesty International to raise community awareness on women’s and girls’ rights and support survivors of gender-based violence. “I’m very optimistic, but I know it won’t be easy! It’s a long-term battle,” she says.
In 60 communities in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Burkina Faso, Amnesty is using a human rights education approach to combat all forms of gender-based violence. This work, which is made possible through your generous support, has reached many thousands of people.
“Through our activities with Amnesty International and other partners, we have managed to bring men, women, and youth together,” Mariame says. “We organize talks, training sessions, and intergenerational dialogues to discuss early marriage, gender-based violence, and human rights.”