A petition to assist end female genital mutilation (FGM) in the US has crossed a important milestone of one hundred,000 signatures.
Jaha Dukureh, a 24-year-previous survivor of FGM, designed the Alter.org petition, which urges the US government to commission a report that would update statistics on the prevalence of females subjected to FGM in the US. It collected its a hundred,000th signature on Friday afternoon.
“I hope the government listens to all the one hundred,000 men and women that have taken their time to sign this petition, to say what we’re asking for is quite, quite crucial and it demands to take place,” Dukureh advised the Guardian. “So I just genuinely hope they get action as nicely.”
Her campaign is supported by UN secretary common Ban Ki-moon, prominent Muslim cleric and activist Imam Baba Leigh, US congressman Joe Crowley and the Guardian.
“Listening to people and obtaining them to tell me how this has impacted them, how this has moved them, is just so rewarding, I’m so satisfied,” Dukureh explained.
The petition calls on the federal government to commission study on the prevalence of FGM in the US to allow it develop a extensive strategy to end the practice and supply companies to women who have presently been subjected to it. The practice was outlawed in the US in 1996, but at least 228,000 females in the US are imagined to be impacted, according to research from Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston.
Dukureh hopes her petition will carry on to raise awareness of the concern and start a national conversation about the horrors girls in the US and all around the planet experience.
“By the time [my kids] grow up, I hope they will not have to be concerned about FGM, especially my daughter. I hope she grows up in a planet … the place no ladies are ever at danger of FGM, and particularly not when they were born in America.”
At one level, the petition collected 7,800 signatures in one hour and the signatures come from 131countries, in accordance to Adjust.org. It was the fastest developing US petition on the web site on Thursday, and second quickest increasing globally.
“I hope the government listens to all the a hundred,000 folks that have taken their time to sign this petition, to say what we’re asking for is very, quite crucial and it wants to take place,” Dukureh explained. “So I just really hope they get action as effectively.”
Dukureh sought advice on the campaign from Fahma Mohamed, a 17-12 months-outdated activist in the United kingdom who led a related campaign in the nation that led training secretary Michael Gove to create to all colleges in England and Wales about the horrors of FGM.
Along with the petition, Dukureh is doing work on neighborhood outreach efforts by means of the group she founded, Protected Hands for Ladies. Dukureh is hoping to organize an FGM conference with the group in Atlanta in June.
Over the weekend, the group celebrated the completion of a 4 bedroom residence by Habitat for Humanity for a 27-year-old West African immigrant and FGM survivor. The girl, Naima, approached the group after her husband, who she married in a forced marriage, died last year.
US female genital mutilation petition passes a hundred,000 signatures
