Hello everyone,

We wanted to share with you this new report put together by Orchid Project and ARROW on the need for an Asia Network to End FGM/C.

This report is the result of a five-month consultation with activists, CSOs, researchers and survivors of FGM/C from across the Asia region. Activists and stakeholders have called for greater political will to end FGM/C, including legislation and its implementation and enforcement, as well as broad awareness raising, direct work with affected communities, and work to challenge harmful social and gender norms. Results indicated high levels of support for a network amongst participating activists, organisations and allies, with an overwhelming 96% of participants wanting to join the Asia Network to End FGM/C.

Respondents also identified numerous challenges to their work, from a shrinking civil society space to organisations and campaigners being threatened for their activism – which is an issue of concern that the Network will be seeking a role in addressing. The consultation highlighted the lack of support, capacity and increasingly challenging contexts for those working on ending FGM/C in Asian countries, and emphasised the need for research and evidence generation across the board.

The Asia Network to End FGM/C will establish a platform of NGOs, activists, and researchers across the region to build stronger relationships and collaboration. The platform will share data and evidence on prevalence, take survivor needs and viewpoints into account, engage with religious scholars who can influence communities positively, and urge governments to report on the SDG indicator (5.3.2) related to FGM/C.