About Orchid Project
Orchid Project is a UK and Kenya based charity working solely to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The practice usually takes place before a girl turns 15, more commonly in Africa and Asia. It is not only a violation of human rights but also a form of gender-based violence. FGM/C can bring severe and life-long physical and mental health impacts, including chronic infections, bleeding, severe complications during pregnancy and childbirth and even death. A recent study now estimates that FGM/C is responsible for more deaths of girls in Africa than HIV/AIDS, making it an urgent social and medical issue.
Today, 230 million women have undergone FGM/C and every year, 4.3 million girls are at risk of being cut.
Orchid Project works to end FGM/C through three main areas:
- Research: generating research and evidence of what works to end FGM/C to better-equip those working to end it
- Movement Building: supporting civil society organisations to unite under strong, locally-led regional networks where they can influence change together
- Advocacy: raising the voices of women and girls to influence global policies and actions towards ending FGM/C, seeking to challenge the systems that allow FGM/C to continue.
Orchid Project's Challenges
Like most charities today, raising funds has become a challenge for them, mainly due to: the current economic climate, competing humanitarian crises, the reduction of government aid, and the de-prioritization of women’s issues.
In addition, they are faced with sector challenges such as:
● The growing trend of the medicalisation of FGM/C which poses a threat to the sector. This means that health professionals are carrying out the practice, with studies showing that this can result in more severe cuts as well as legitimising the practice.
● Although the global community has committed to ending FGM/C by 2030 as embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals, in order to reach this target, progress needs to be 27 times faster than the rate seen in the past decade. Along with a growing population, this means a significant increase in resources is needed to end FGM/C.
● The lack of awareness around FGM/C outside of the sector. Although FGM/C is most prevalent in Africa and Asia, it has been found in over 94 countries worldwide, with over 130,000 survivors living in the UK alone. In order to see real progress with FGM/C, more awareness of the practice is needed, so that it is prioritised in line with other sexual health and reproductive rights issues.
Despite these challenges they remain ever more committed to spreading awareness, raising income and bringing this devastating practice to an end.
Orchid Project's Achievements
Research:
● Their research (found on www.fgmcri.org) is seen as a key point of reference by the UN, governments, Unicef, UNHCR, and UNFPA, among others, who have mentioned their research over 3,500 times online.
● Their research was used as a basis for a paper from the University of Birmingham estimating that FGM/C is the fourth leading cause of the death of girls in African countries where FGM/C is practised.
Movement Building:
● They co-founded and co-host the Asia Network to End FGM/C, shining light on the scale of FGM/C in Asia, and bringing together 80 members from 13 countries.
● They supported grassroots partners to launch the ‘End FGM/C Africa Network’ to unite and strengthen regional advocacy efforts and hold African governments to account. It brings together 39 organisations across 14 countries.
● Together with their partners, they supported the rejection of a new bill which aimed to overturn the Gambian law banning FGM/C.
Advocacy:
● They contributed to securing the first ever governmental commitment to end FGM/C through the UK’s Department for International Development.
● They successfully advocated with the sector for the inclusion of the elimination of FGM/C in the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda by 2030.
● Since 2022 they have elevated the voices of 30 grassroots activists by supporting them to attend global-influencing events and to hold decision-makers to account.
