photo: http://www.lorealparisusa.com/en/women-of-worth/2015-honoree.aspx?profile=Jaha-Dukureh

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Jaha Dukureh was born in The Gambia. She was infibulated in infancy, and at fifteen sent to America to marry a man in his forties. The marriage did not last and she ran away. Now married to a husband of her choice and is still living in the U.S., she has three children, including a daughter.

Her decision to protect her daughter from FGM spurred her to fight to protect other girls. She started a Change.org petition that caught the attention of President Obama. The practice of FGM within the US was already an offence, but Jaha’s intervention resulted in the Girls’ Protection Act of 2010, which criminalizes the transport of U.S. girls abroad for FGM.

Now Jaha is taking her campaign home to The Gambia, where currently 78% of girls are infibulated. She is talking to the women who carry out FGM, and to the younger generation. As the daughter of an influential imam, she is also in a good  position to argue against the strongly held myth that FGM is required by Islam. Her goal is a national ban on FGM in The Gambia.

Jaha is one of the 10 women nominated for L’Oreal’s Women of Worth 2015. If Jaha wins, L’Oreal will promote Jaha’s cause and donate $25,000 to her organisation Safe Hands For Girls. This U.S. based group is run by FGM survivors and aims to raise awareness of the abuse and to give support to other survivors. Follow the link to see their work.

SO PLEASE VOTE. YOU HAVE 2 CHANCES TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE, TODAY AND TOMORROW.

YOU CAN VOTE HERE

YOU CAN VOTE HERE

Jaha’s Journey – the film

To learn more about Jaha’s life and work you can see a clip from Patrick Farrelly’s unfinished film here:

YOU CAN VOTE HERE

 

Victory

Travel Theme: Faces
#FGM  #Jaha’sJourney #SafeHandsForGirls #JahaDukureh #FemaleGenitalMutilation