Building stronger advocacy to end FGM together: our 2026 Intergenerational Ambassadors Meeting
A year ago, we held our first Intergenerational Ambassadors Meeting with the 2025–2027 cohort. Twelve months later, it was time to come together again, to see how far we have come, reflect on what has been accomplished and, importantly, consider what more can be done to foster action towards ending female genital mutilation (FGM).
On 19 and 20 September, our Ambassadors came together from different countries across Europe to bring together different voices, generations and approaches and reflect on how we can respond to the diverse realities of communities affected by FGM. The two-day meeting was organised by Aminata Bah, Operations and Governance Officer at End FGM EU, who works closely with our Ambassadors throughout the programme. She opened the first day by inviting them to look back at the past year: What have they achieved as Ambassadors? Where have they been able to create influence, and where is there still more to be done?
The reflections showed how differently this work can take shape. In Amsterdam, Wedad Almizori is becoming an FGM trainer and has started working with doctors and nurses to strengthen their understanding of FGM. Istahil Abdulahi spoke about the importance of persistence. As a trainer, she often meets people who know very little about FGM, which means starting the conversation from the beginning. For her, the important thing is to remain persistent and keep the conversation going.
In Berlin, Franz Evariste Kapnang has been working with girls, including some who had little awareness of FGM and others who had been directly affected by it. Creating a space where they could learn about FGM and share their own experiences was one of the achievements he was particularly proud of. His work has also involved men, opening up very different conversations. Some were surprised by his involvement in ending FGM and questioned why he, as a man, was engaging with the issue. His work is now continuing with a focus on supporting migrant girls with their integration, including through language.
But looking back was also about recognising what the past year has taught them. For Fátima Amina Rafael, one of the main lessons was that work to end FGM is not always linear. The way we communicate needs to be adapted to different audiences, and change cannot always be rushed. Sometimes, she reflected, progress has to happen through small steps.
Other Ambassadors shared how their work has developed over the year. Rediat Lencho Dekebo has contributed to several events and had the opportunity to develop a programme for asylum seekers in Uganda, particularly young mothers, focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Passie Kengne Kuetche brought FGM into her academic work through her Master's thesis on the medicalisation of FGM and the best interests of the child, while also engaging with other young people through social media. Rafiu Olayinka Awolola described his own learning curve in understanding FGM and how he has since seen greater engagement from his peers during seminars, alongside his work with children to strengthen their confidence.
The conversation also highlighted some of the challenges that come with this work. Deborah Odeworitse Blankson spoke about continuing to raise awareness, including through social media, but also about how isolating advocacy on FGM can sometimes feel and the importance of taking care of ourselves. This was connected to a wider discussion about meeting people where they are and recognising the different layers of trauma that migrants may be experiencing. Continuous learning, connection and care therefore remain an important part of sustaining this work.
For several Ambassadors, another question was how to strengthen action beyond Europe. Rafiu stressed the importance of efforts to end FGM outside the EU, particularly in places where women and girls may have fewer opportunities to speak openly about the practice. Riham Ibrahim shared her experience in Kenya, where reaching remote communities can be challenging. For her, this has meant finding ways to act as a bridge, helping information reach communities and building connections with organisations in different countries.
At the same time, working within communities can bring its own challenges. Istahil shared that her advocacy has sometimes led people to perceive her as “brainwashed” or as working for Europeans. For her, being part of a wider and diverse group of advocates can help challenge that perception and reinforce that ending FGM is not an issue belonging to one country, background or generation.
Bassmala Mohammed Morkaz talked about her experience with youth engagement and advocacy, drawing on her participation in Women Deliver 2026. She shared her perspective as a young advocate and reflected on the importance of creating spaces where young people can participate, bring their perspectives and contribute to advocacy efforts around FGM.
These experiences opened up a wider conversation about what Ambassadors need to take their work further: stronger connections, opportunities to work across borders, and resources that can support not only individuals but collective initiatives. The first session therefore became more than a look back at the past twelve months. It also helped identify where there is room to grow and what could strengthen the Ambassadors' work during the next year of the programme.
From the Secretariat, two sessions provided Ambassadors with practical tools to strengthen their advocacy. Marianne Nguena Kana, Director of End FGM EU, focused on “Speaking to Influence”, exploring public speaking and engagement with decision-makers. A key part of the discussion focused on framing and the role narratives play in shaping how people understand FGM, survivors and affected communities. Ambassadors explored the importance of first understanding the context in which they are advocating: who they are speaking to, what influences the discussion around FGM and what concrete change they want to achieve.
Victor Verdier, Senior Communications Officer at End FGM EU, then focused on digital hate in the age of AI. His session explored how new technologies are changing the online environment, from recognising AI-generated content to understanding how AI can reproduce harmful biases and contribute to online gender-based violence. It also looked at how advocates themselves can use generative AI critically and responsibly, ensuring that the content they create reflects their values and does not reproduce harmful stereotypes or narratives.
Using concrete examples, the session showed how AI-generated campaigns can quickly take on a life of their own online, including how advocacy content can be appropriated and turned into opposing narratives, as happened in Mali in August 2026. The session then moved from analysis to practice, with Ambassadors working across generations to create their own social media content.
The second day shifted the focus from learning to collective action. In small groups, Ambassadors explored four priority areas they had identified: FGM legislation and implementation; stigma, racism and the experiences of FGM survivors; cultural sensitivity and the origins and drivers of FGM; and mental health, well-being and activist burnout.
Discussions on cultural sensitivity highlighted the complexity of addressing FGM across different communities and contexts. Ambassadors explored how gender, power, religion, social norms and other factors can shape the practice, while challenging assumptions that can lead to stereotyping affected communities. A recurring point was that there is no one-size-fits-all approach: messages and strategies need to be adapted to the realities of each community.
Trust also emerged as a central issue. Participants discussed who is best placed to engage a community, whether community leaders, religious figures, mediators or a combination of different voices and stressed that the right messenger will vary depending on the context. Even advocates from affected communities can face resistance when challenging established norms, making it essential to understand the community, use appropriate language and build relationships over time.
Ultimately, these two days of collective reflection reinforced the need for advocacy that is nuanced, context-specific and grounded in dialogue, recognising the diversity of experiences and drivers behind FGM and moving away from one-size-fits-all approaches to affected communities. We look forward to continuing this journey together and seeing where our Ambassadors’ work and collective action will take us throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
