One year of CHAIN: Linking the prevention of FGM and EFM in Europe

16/12/2021

One year in the CHAIN project (01.09.2020 - 31.08.2022) is now successfully behind us!

Since September 2020, the project partners TERRE DES FEMMES (main coordination), ActionAid Italy, Equipop, Save A Girl, Save A Generation and the End FGM European Network have been working within the framework of the EU co-founded CHAIN project. The aim of the project is to promote multi-disciplinary cooperation tackling female genital mutilation (FGM) and early and forced marriage (EFM) through capacity building, community empowerment and awareness raising, while giving a voice to community concerns connecting them with the political level.

During the first half of the project, all Community Trainers were fully trained and are now starting to raise awareness and sensibilize within their communities, but also vis-a-vis professionals concerning the practice of FGM and EFM. On the occasion of the 40^th jubilee of TERRE DES FEMMES, Isatou Barry (Community Trainer and activist) presented the CHAIN project and the empowerment work in communities. Furthermore, all Community Trainers of the partner organizations had the opportunity to meet online during the first European exchange meeting on the 9^th of October 2021. The meeting was aiming at team building and sharing experiences, challenges and good practices.

In addition, as one of the main objectives of the project, all partners are finalizing local intervention chains bringing together local and national actors who are involved in responding to urgent cases of FGM and EFM in Berlin, Milan, Paris and Madrid. The intervention chains will be presented at national launch conferences in February 2022.

Finally, as part of the Chain for Change Campaign launched on 11 October 2021, two animated videos have been created by End FGM EU with the support of CHAIN partners and Community Trainers, and in collaboration with Bonatio Studio and the Inklink, to change attitudes towards FGM and EFM.