Across communities where FGM remains prevalent, the voices of religious leaders carry profound influence. The #FrontlineEndingFGM Born Perfect Campaign taps into this power – mobilising imams, pastors, and other region-specific leaders to deliver the end-FGM message loud and clear, village by village.
Through locally-led radio, media, and mass Caravans, religious leaders are helping dismantle one of the most persistent myths that sustain FGM. Their message is simple but transformative: FGM is not a religious obligation – and it has no place in faith, families, or communities.
Even religious leaders themselves are not always fully informed on the truth about FGM. That’s why the Born Perfect Campaign runs Born Perfect Academies – a 5-day local training hub where medical professionals present religious leaders with the facts about the physical and fatal harm that FGM causes to women and babies. These sessions also reinforce the fact that FGM is not required by any religion, helping leaders feel confident to condemn it publicly and lead the call for abandonment from a place of both knowledge and faith.
In Tana River County, Kenya, the results speak for themselves. By raising awareness on the harms of FGM and engaging respected religious voices in sustained media campaigns and community dialogues, the region has seen a stunning 84% drop in the acceptance of the worst form of FGM.
With over 900 million listeners and viewers across radio campaigns and international media so far, the message is spreading: FGM is not faith. Abandonment is not betrayal. And a future free of FGM is possible – for every girl, in every village.
The Born Perfect Campaign supports frontline activists and survivors with decades of experience fighting FGM in their own communities, with the local knowledge, networks, and influence to shift social beliefs from within.
By partnering with the people already trusted by communities, we are hammering home the end FGM message and accelerating the path to abandonment.
