30% – 60% of girls and women aged 15-49 still go through FGM in Tanzania’s rural communities
What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also referred to as Female Genital Cutting (FGC), was criminalised in 1998 on girls under the age of 18 in Tanzania. The illegal practice is often performed without pain relief or hygienic equipment and can lead to complex infections, infertility and in some cases, girls have bled to death.
In an attempt to avoid legal ramifications, FGM is often performed in secret, without the consent of the individual. It’s considered a traditional rite of passage into adulthood and FGM secures a higher dowry for the parents of girls who have undergone the procedure.
How can I help end FGM?
To get help to girls and women who are at risk, FGM activists and the police need better maps
Notifications of FGM taking place often only reaches rescue teams with hours to spare, at night, so the team has to react quickly. Crowd2map volunteers are based all over the world. Remote mappers add roads and buildings from satellite images and those on the ground in Tanzania continue the process with their local knowledge, but more help is always needed.