Bogaletch Gebre: ending female genital mutilation in Ethiopia
June 23, 2007Amy Coen, President of Population Action International, who nominated Gebre for the Jonathan Mann Award, attended a 2006 community-initiated rally in southern Ethiopia to celebrate the end of female genital mutilation. "Close to 20000 people from some 20 villages poured into an open field, most of them walking for miles to participate in the festivities. Elders, usually the keepers of traditions, spoke out against the practice. It was a transforming experience to see what a small group of women can do to spare their daughters and sisters extreme misery. It renewed my faith and my hope for the future of us all."
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