Following CHANGE Plus, Equipop is now a partner in the Let's CHANGE project, coordinated by Terre des Femmes (Germany) in partnership with FSAN (Netherlands) and Plan International Hamburg (Germany). The aim is to reduce the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Europe, in particular through awareness-raising and prevention among migrant populations and training for professionals.
Launched in October 2018, the Let's Change project will last two (2) years. In this new phase of the project, there will be 14 community stakeholders, as well as training for professionals from various sectors: social, health, education, and asylum, which is essential for better prevention of FGM.
Wrongly considered as "distant" and "foreign" practices, many professionals such as teachers, healthcare workers, and social workers are not trained on this health issue and therefore do not always manage to properly refer or inform women and girls who have undergone FGM or are at risk of undergoing it.
Every year, 20,000 women and girls seek asylum in European countries because of FGM. It is time to improve access to medical and psychological support for those affected by FGM through training for professionals and raising awareness among the general public.
Thanks to the Trainers and Change Agents, who will form a pool of European "experts" on FGM from within the communities, Let's CHANGE is firmly committed to prevention, protection, and better care for women and girls who are affected by or at risk of excision.
Press contact:
Nathalie PERROTIN-MILLA – Communications Manager
+33 (0)1 85 08 05 19 – nathalie.perrotin@equipop.org
Notes to editors:
Equipop is an association created in 1993 by doctors and journalists, which works to improve the living conditions and status of women, an essential factor for fair and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa.
