“Evidence based, cost-effective strategies with results like the two Born Perfect campaigns in Gabu and Tana River are now more important than ever, as we fall into the crisis of the USAID’s collapse.” Dr Tobe Levin, FGM global expert and Harvard fellow
A roadmap to FGM eradication designed by the grassroots for the grassroots where the mutilation happens.
The Born Perfect Women’s Caravans (funded by the EU ) have a 94% success rate. See the evidence of success of West Africa grassroots led Born Perfect Women’s Caravan’s here.
Less than a year ago, a group of activists, musicians, and filmmakers embarked on a Caravan across the Gabu region, which has the highest prevalence rate of FGM in Guinea Bissau and amongst one of the highest in the world (95%). Their mission? To break the silence on FGM, and inspire lasting change through the power of images, film, music and testimonials from survivors, doctors and religious leaders.
Watch the film of that extraordinary journey:
This Frontline Ending FGM initiative, named the Born Perfect Women’s Caravan, was part of the project funded by the European Union, the Wallace Global Fund, through the Global Media Campaign to End FGM (GMC) in collaboration with the National Committee for the Abandonment of Harmful Practices (CNAPN). The caravan drove into the heart of communities where almost every girl child was mutilated, and broke the silence on FGM. The entire village turned out to welcome the fleet of battered buses, cars carrying every notable religions leader, musician and politician in the region. Six months later when we went back to interview over 900 people about the impact of the Caravan 94 per cent said that it has changed their mind on the need for FGM for their daughter. We return again in July 2025 to check that their resolve has not been broken.
The caravan launched in Bissau on May 10, 2024, in a ceremony attended by government officials, EU representatives, and ambassadors. Over the following days, the team traveled across the Gabu region, stopping in villages where FGM is still common but often very taboo. Showing documentary films, live music performances, and community discussions, the caravan engaged with traditional leaders, religious figures, health professionals, and young students. In Sonaco, Boé, Pitche, Buruntuma, Pirada, and Gabu, powerful stories of survivors, testimonies from former cutters, and doctors raising awareness on the health risk that FGM represents.
At the heart of the caravan’s strategy was: “images speak a thousand words”. Communities watched the harrowing story of Waris Dirie, a Somali model and UN ambassador who endured FGM at age 3 and forced marriage at 13 before escaping to build a new life in Europe. The audience also learned about Binta Dabo, a six-year-old girl from Guinea-Bissau who nearly lost her life due to an infibulation procedure. Her image, projected on the screen, left the audience in stunned silence. “We must form a protective chain around our daughters,” said Marliatu Djalo Condé, the CNAPN president, urging communities to take action.
Music played an equally crucial role. Songs performed by Nelson Bomba, Tchuma Bari, and Elisa Sá carried powerful messages: “Fanado N’Kana Bai” (I Won’t Be Cut) – A defiant anthem against FGM and “Idade Certo na Escola” (Right Age for School) – A plea to keep girls in school.
The caravan received overwhelmingly good reactions. In Boé, a fanateca (exciser) named Siraboi Camara publicly vowed to stop cutting girls and join the fight against FGM. In Pirada, a police commander pledged to enforce anti-FGM laws, admitting that no reports had ever been filed despite the high prevalence of the practice in the region. In Gabu, schools closed during the caravan so all the students and professors could join the Caravan. But the Caravan was just the beginning, followed by media campaigns and community dialogues.
