How an NGO is Providing Support To all Survivors of FGM Through a Network called 'THE DAISY NETWORK'

The Balm in the Gilead Foundation (BIGIF) gathers survivors of female genital mutilation to become advocates in their community for the end of the practice. BIGIF has over 300 volunteers across the country and has reached over 100 women and girls with its messaging. BIGIF visits schools and churches, go door-to-door, hosts walks and even runs a 30-minute radio program to raise awareness and educate community members.

The Girl Generation (TGG) practices intergenerational healing and provides trauma-informed support to women who have survived female genital mutilation (FGM). TGG aims for FGM to be recognized as a form of sexual violence rather than a cultural practice and does so by hosting mother-daughter forums for generations to cope and heal from their traumas together. TGG estimates they’ve reached about 300 women and girls so far, with hopes to expand the group to other communities.

The University of Arizona's student-run CUP women's clinic provides free preventive and primary care to uninsured Southern Arizona women. In 2025, they served 61 unique patients, a 35% increase from the prior year, and trained future physicians in community-based medicine and health equity.

In The Gambia, a National FGM Strategy and Action Plan backed by the government, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, has worked to translate a legislative ban on Female Genital Mutilation into real community change. The strategy combines policy reform, school and community awareness programs, engagement with religious and traditional leaders, and empowerment programs for girls. Despite FGM persisting in rural communities, FGM rates among girls aged 0–14 have declined from approximately 76% to 45%.

be artsy's Rato Baltin project uses culturally relevant education, menstrual kit distribution, and engages religious leaders to challenge discriminatory practices against those who menstruate. Since launching in 2017, the group has reached 80,000 people and distributed over 5,500 menstrual cups, while simultaneously helping shift perspectives around menstruating.

Village Health Teams are groups of community health workers helping rural women access family planning services. They travel from home to home offering counseling, education and connection to the resources women need but struggle to access, including condoms and pills, often all without having to visit a health facility. VHTs have reached several thousand residents, both with short and long-term contraceptive methods.

Following the national rollout of the HPV vaccine, teams emerged to manage critical components of the rollout, including supply chain management, education, training and data collection. Immunization specialists were also tasked with educating the public on vaccine-related myths and misinformation to assure people getting the shot was safe and necessary. With the help of these outreach strategies, the team managed to vaccinate 387,645 girls.

Brencare Foundation’s Safe Space Project meets once a week within local schools to provide menstrual health, hygiene, sexual and gender-based violence education to girls in need. So far, the Foundation has reached about 5,000 women and girls across several communities with its education efforts.

A medical tactile examiner (MTE) is a new, emerging profession for blind and visually impaired women in India and Europe that trains women to give tactile breast examinations to detect signs of breast cancer. The MTE profession originated in Germany but since 2017, 18 MTEs have been trained in India, and have since screened thousands of women and participated in several breast cancer awareness campaigns.

The Hello Lagos! youth center provides a safe space for youth, particularly those experiencing teenage pregnancies, issues around sexual reproductive health, substance abuse and anything else that gets in the way of youth having a healthy lifestyle. One of the Center’s program, the young moms clinic, has led to a 20% decrease in teen pregnancy and 15% of those in the program have returned to school.