Grassroots promise

Via today's Progress Report--the Senegalese movement to end female genital mutilation is taking hold in countries around Africa. Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali have all followed suit, imitating Senegal's holistic approach to abolishing excision through human rights and health education and awareness. Groups like UNICEF have taken note of this success and endorsed the model.

Truly inspiring...a shining example of women's agency in the Third World, and change through empowerment at the local level.

The film Moolaadé is a powerful homage to those that began the movement. Also, one of my favorite professors at UCSB has been working on a documentary on women's organizations in the Third World called Passion for Change, and it features the women of Senegal. The trailer on its own was so moving it brought the lecture hall to tears. These are the kinds of films that should be brought to people's attention.