As global leaders, feminist movements, youth advocates, and grassroots organizations gathered at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference, one message rang clear across conversations on gender justice and bodily autonomy: those most affected by violence must be at the center of the solutions.
For TGG-ALM and its partners, Women Deliver 2026 was more than a global conference. It was an opportunity to amplify survivor leadership, strengthen feminist partnerships, push for accountability in ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as well as share learnings and evidence from the programme.
Listening Session – Survivor Leadership as Movement Power
TGG-ALM, together with WePurposeful, held a TED -style talk on Survivor Leadership as Movement Power.
The session provided audiences with an opportunity to pause, listen, and learn from survivor leaders of FGM whose courage, political clarity, and organising are shaping the fight for justice across national, regional, and global spaces
Josephine Kamara, Director of Advocacy at WePurposeful, said: “This is an invitation to listen, not to respond, but to learn from survivors and their courage to seek justice locally and globally.”
The TED Talks focused on themes such as not the perfect survivor, the harmful framing of FGM, and justice beyond the courtrooms. The TED Talks created a reflective and politically grounded space to center the leadership and courage of survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) who are driving change at the national, regional, and global levels.
Dr. Leyla Hussein, the Global Advocacy Director for TGG-ALM, grounded the conversation in care and respect for each other’s experiences.
Not the Perfect Survivor
Mariya Taher, a co-founder of Sahiyo, a transnational organisation dedicated to empowering Asian and other communities in ending FGM was one of the speakers. “I never fitted the narrative of a survivor of FGM. What I knew about FGM/C at that time was that it happened to those who lived in poverty, who were of African descent, and who were uneducated. An image that I had been taught should invoke sympathy, pity, and rebuke.
“If that was the perception of who was a survivor of FGM/C; then how could it be that I had undergone it? I didn’t fit the narrative.”
“Ending FGM/C isn’t just about changing a tradition; it’s about recognizing this is gender-based violence and that we must also dismantle power structures, including racism within the movement, that keep this form of violence hidden in the shadows.”
What does victory look like, if a girl is still at risk the very next day?
Kadijatu Baliama Alliue, a Sierra Leonean women’s rights activist and survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM) whose courage helped secure a landmark regional human-rights ruling. In 2023, Kadijatu, served as the lead plaintiff in the ECOWAS Community Court case against the government of Sierra Leone for failing to protect women and girls from FGM.
She won the case. But what does justice look like beyond the courtrooms?
Sarian Kamara explored this theme. Sarian is an activist for women’s rights with a focus on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which she experienced as a child in her home country of Sierra Leone.
“Kadijatu’s story is every girl’s story. The ECOWAS Court acknowledged her rights and acknowledged the harm done to her and delivered a judgment.”
Yet nothing fundamentally changed for the next girl. When justice speaks in courtrooms, it doesn’t reach the village. What does victory look like if a girl is still at risk the very next day? This is a truth we must confront together. FGM is still happening not because we lack laws or evidence, but because we lack political will; the kind that says the bodies of women and girls are not traditions to be preserved.”
Together, these talks helped us gain insight on what has worked, what remains difficult, what it takes to build a trust-based relationship with allies and what must change if movements are serious about justice and leading with survivors.
Addressing racism within gender equality spaces?
In partnership with Sahiyo, TGG-ALM unpacked racism within the movement to end FGM, exploring hard truths, shared experiences, and the path toward a more just and inclusive future.
In reality, FGM cuts across cultures and geographies, and the communities impacted are deeply diverse. Yet dominant global narratives continue to frame it as a “Black, African, or immigrant” issue, reinforcing harmful stereotypes while erasing the experiences of many survivors around the world.
Through panel discussions, an animation, and examining intersections between FGM and social oppressions, the event unpacked what racism within the movement truly is.
“FGM has often been misframed as a religious issue, but that narrative misses the full context. In the process, it has been separated from the people most affected, where some survivors are made highly visible while others are overlooked.” Warda Warsame, National Network Coordinator, End FGM Canada Network.
“FGM is not an African issue. It is a global violence. When we lead with judgment instead of understanding, we hinder change and risk controlling the very communities we aim to support.” Bassmale Morkaz, End FGM EU Network-Youth Ambassador.
Naming FGM for what it is: Violence against children, child abuse and a violation of the human rights of girls and women globally, can feel uncomfortable in spaces where narratives have long been shaped by stigma, politics, or external perspectives. Yet, honest, survivor-centered language is essential to advancing justice, accountability, and meaningful change.
If we are serious about justice, we must be equally serious about dismantling these narratives.
Why is it critical to ensure that end FGM efforts are discussed on global platforms?
The anti-rights movement has taken 3 strands-Religion, culture, and government. Religion tells survivors speaking against FGM that they are falling from grace. Culture wants FGM sustained, even though it is a form of gender-based violence. Despite laws and policies, governments are a bit slow in preventing FGM, with a lot of effort going into response.
The Global Platform Action to end FGM came together in early 2019 to place FGM high on the agenda of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference through a joint event. It was the first time that representatives from civil society working to end FGM worldwide came together publicly to make FGM a thing of the past. Since then, the Global Platform Action has continued to organize pre-conferences at Women Deliver, including in 2023 and 2026.
This year’s pre-conference created an opportunity to look back and appreciate how far the movement has come together, strengthen organizing against anti-rights movements, elevate survivors’ voices, share learnings and evidence, and mobilize political will toward post-2030 commitments.
Dr. Nardos Berhanu from the Organisation of African First Ladies Development said, “It is crucial to highlight significant progress across Africa. Despite persistent gaps, first ladies across Africa are playing a catalytic role. By coming together as allies, first ladies are pushing for the agenda to receive the appropriate support and contribute to social change; toward a future where every girl is safe and free from FGM.
We were privileged to have Olukemi “Kemi” Williams, Head of the Gender Equality and Rights Department at FCDO. “The UK Government has a strong commitment to ending FGM, through funding programmes including The Girl Generation. From this programme, we’ve seen that lasting change is built through grants that reach grassroots, survivor-led trainings and initiatives, meaningful community engagements, and strengthening health systems through the creation of a Model Health Facility in Kenya.”
Watch her video remarks here
Speaking as a youth representative, Bassmale Morkaz, End FGM EU Network-Youth Ambassador, said, “Youth leadership is not an add on but essential in maintaining strength in this movement. We must continue to strengthen intergenerational work, not as a slogan but as part of the agency.
As the conversations from Women Deliver 2026 continue beyond Melbourne, TGG-ALM remains committed to strengthening the Africa-led movement to end FGM through survivor leadership, grassroots organizing, strategic partnerships, and bold advocacy.
