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Are you a faith leader?

A faith leader is 'A person, of any background or gender, who is recognied within a particular faith community as having authority and plays an influential leadership role within that faith community' (2)_0.png

Welcome to our Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) Faith Leader Educational Toolkit. This toolkit is a resource to help faith leaders in the U.S., of any gender or background, address FGM/C, the relationship between FGM/C and religion, and how faith leaders can support advocacy and awareness in their religious institutions.

Faith leaders are important allies in the effort to stop FGM/C. Faith leaders are influential resources and can help change opinions and push for growth in communities. We all have a part to play in ending FGM/C.

If you are a faith leader, the toolkit will provide you with the tools you need to address FGM/C in your community. The toolkit is separated into sections where you can learn more about FGM/C including what is FGM/C, the impact it has on communities, the current laws in the U.S., an examination of religious texts and their relation to FGM/C, the role faith leaders can play, assistance in how to have difficult conversations on the topic, and ways in which to empower faith communities to prevent FGM/C and create a supportive environment for survivors.

We are indebted to the faith leaders who gave their time and insight towards the development of this toolkit. This toolkit was designed through research and interviews with faith leaders in the U.S. The development of this toolkit was funded by Islamic Relief USA.