28, August 2026| Onuebor, Nome, Izzi, Ebonyi State
Ending harmful practices begins with awareness, courage and collective action. In line with this commitment, NEW Foundation and the Male Feminists Network (MFN) took their sensitisation campaign to Onuebor, Nome, Izzi, engaging community members on critical issues affecting the rights, safety and wellbeing of women and girls.
The engagement provided an opportunity for community members to reflect on harmful practices that continue to affect the lives and future of girls. Two major concerns emerged during the discussion: early child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Early child marriage can deprive girls of education, limit their opportunities and expose them to significant health and social risks. It can also restrict their ability to make informed decisions about their futures and pursue opportunities that could improve their lives.
The discussion also addressed Female Genital Mutilation, a harmful practice with serious physical and psychological consequences. FGM has no health benefits and violates the rights, dignity and bodily integrity of girls and women. Addressing it requires communities to question practices that cause harm and to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of every girl and woman.
Community members were encouraged to challenge harmful social norms, protect the rights of girls and women, and speak up against practices that place their lives and futures at risk. MFN emphasised the importance of building communities where every girl can grow up safe, remain in school, make informed choices and live free from violence and harmful practices.
Ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and harmful traditional practices is not the responsibility of women and girls alone. Men, boys, families, traditional leaders and the wider community all have a role to play in creating safer and more equitable communities.
The sensitisation reinforced an important message: meaningful change begins when communities are willing to have difficult conversations, examine harmful norms and take collective action to protect the rights and dignity of women and girls.
Together, we can build safer communities. Together, we can end child marriage, end Female Genital Mutilation and protect the rights and dignity of every girl and woman.
Supported by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD)
