Advocating for the rights of women and girls in Canada and abroad.

 

Our Vision

A Canada free from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) where impacted women and girls are well supported, and girls at risk are protected.

The End FGM Canada Network is a non-partisan group of survivors, individuals and organizations working to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and support survivors both in Canada and abroad.

We urge the Canadian government to acknowledge that FGM/C is an issue here too, and to create a National Action Plan that clearly outlines policies and practices to best support survivors and to protect girls at risk in Canada. We also encourage the Canadian government to focus more development aid on the human rights battle to end FGM/C worldwide.

The Network unites members and stakeholders across Canada to share knowledge and foster collaboration within the field of FGM/ C, with a focus on creating platforms for engagement and offering trauma-informed culturally sensitive tools to enable frontline professionals to address FGM/C in Canadian communities. We also work with our international partners to advance the discourse and human rights battle to end FGM/C worldwide.

Our Organization

To be the leading force in Canada to end all forms of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), working collaboratively with stakeholders to increase awareness, strengthen measures to protect girls at risk, and aid in the creation of systems of support for impacted women and girls.

Our Mission

The End FGM Canada Network is is a non-partisan group of survivors, individuals and organizations working to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and support survivors both in Canada and abroad.
We are a human rights organization that exists for the purpose of promoting, upholding and enforcing the human rights of girls and women residing in Canada. We uphold the following; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, to be protected from the practice of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C), to end FGM/C in Canada and worldwide, and to support the survivors of FGM/C in Canada.

Our Human Rights Approach

Our Values

Human-Rights Approach: The End FGM/C Canada Network is grounded in a human rights approach. We consider female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) to be an extremely harmful practice, a form of gender-based violence, and a violation of the fundamental rights of girls, women, and non-binary children/adults. We are aligned with the United Nations’ policy of zero tolerance for FGM.

Survivor-Led: We place FGM/C survivors at the centre of decisions and processes within The Network. We ensure the development and implementation of programming and recommendations are driven by their experience and expertise.

Diversity: We are an inclusive organization and value diverse backgrounds, experiences, ethnicities, abilities, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities.

Respect: We believe in solidarity between organizations and we respect one another and engage in respectful and thoughtful dialogue.

Anti-discrimination: In our efforts to end FGM/C, we believe in approaching the issue with sensitivity towards individuals and communities, and we reject any form of discrimination and racism.

Supporting empowerment: We deeply value listening to, prioritizing, and honouring survivors of FGM/C and girls at risk, and we are committed to elevating their voices as Network members.

We value the voices of youth and grassroot organizations and support their work through the Network’s collective efforts.

Collective efforts: We bring together individuals and organizations to stand together to end FGM/C, to share information, exchange promising practices, amplify our efforts and voices, and work together to urge the Canadian government to take effective action.

Trauma-informed: We work with an awareness of the varied physical, social, and emotional impacts of trauma caused by FGM/C on individuals (including survivors, activists and professionals) and communities. We value self-care and community care of our members and volunteers.

Our Strategic Values:

“Female genital mutilation targets little girls, baby girls - fragile angels who are helpless, who cannot fight back. It's a crime against a child, a crime against humanity. It's abuse. It's absolutely criminal and we have to stop it.”

- Waris Dirie