Stakeholders now leverage on social media influencers to end FGM
Stakeholders say they have seen the power of social media in creating visibility for different campaigns and enhancing advocacy especially among the youth.
What you need to know:
- The training supported by joint funding from UNFPA and Unicef brought together influencers, anti-FGM advocates and other stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana.
- FGM does not only happen in villages but also in Canada and UK where some communities who exist online, bring their children to Africa to get the cut and take them back.
YouthHubAfrica in partnership with the African Youth Commission has conducted a social media influencers training to assist them create content challenging Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The training supported by joint funding from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) brought together influencers, anti-FGM advocates and other stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana.
Speaking during final day of the training on September 30, at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi YouthHubAfrica co-founder Rotimi Olawale noted that social media is a fundamental mobilisation tool, which can be used to accelerate actions aimed at eliminating FGM in Africa by 2030.
“We tend to forget that FGM does not only happen in villages but also in Canada and UK where some communities who exist online, bring their children to Africa to get the cut and take them back. That is why this particular programme is important because it specifically targets online communities,” said Mr Olawale.
Mercy Ainomugisha and Mohamedin Hussein during the social media influencers training at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi on September 30.
“Moreover, we have seen the power of social media in creating visibility for different campaigns and enhancing advocacy especially among the youth.”
The training was part of a project in seven African countries, which has been running since 2021 to strengthen youth advocacies to eliminate FGM through virtual training, intergenerational dialogue with policy makers and social media activities.
YouthHubAfrica Programme manager Olusegun Medupin, said they targeted influencers who showed promising engagement on their platforms. While they looked at the number of followers each individual had, they were most interested in their engagement and were able to narrow down to eight.
Mr Medupin added that the selected influencers, drawn from different fields had no prior involvement with FGM and the training offered an opportunity for them to raise awareness to their followers, online and offline communities.
Mercy Nkakara Ainomugisha, a well-known mechanic and brand ambassador for Uganda's Raising Teenagers focusing on menstrual health, early marriages and gender-based violence said she believes FGM can end in a single generation.
She added that she had gained new knowledge on the retrogressive practice, which she would take back home and use her platforms for individual and community sensitisation.
Education curriculum
Tonny Olela of the Youth Advisory Panel UNFPA-Kenya observed that social media can be harnessed to transform communities and called on stakeholders to work with, and support young people advocating against FGM.
His remarks were reiterated Unesco Youth Kenya Chairperson Mohamedin Hussein, who also urged the government to include anti-FGM programmes and activities in the education curriculum.
The influencers will each receive a grant of $1000 (Sh120,650) to produce content and raise awareness on the harmful effects of FGM in the coming months.
