Abigail, 14, and Purity, 13, are childhood friends. Abigail escaped FGM and and found sanctuary at the ActionAid-supported Kongolai Girls School. She helped Purity to flee when her turn to be cut came. . Photo: Ashley Hamer /ActionAid
Free sanitary towels are to be given by Kenya’s government to schoolgirls - this is a big step for girls’ rights to education. Read our response to this news, marking a major step forward for girls in Kenya.
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Women-only groups can make a huge difference to the lives of women and girls in poverty. Photo: ActionAid
Plans for women-only screenings of the Wonder Woman film premiere in the US and a festival primarily for black women in Paris have raised questions about the impact of dedicated spaces for marginalised groups. Some people have raised concerns that women-only groups may create even more division within society.
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Jessie J shares her embarrassing period story. Photo: Jessie J
Celebrities including Emma Thompson and Jessie J share their period confessions (they might surprise you!) and remind us all why we should never be embarrassed by our periods.
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1 in 4 women in the UK don't understand their menstrual cycle. Photo: ActionAid
News research shows a shocking 1 in 4 UK women don't understand their menstrual cycle. So this Menstrual Hygiene Day, we’re determined to open up the conversation about periods - and put taboos to rest.
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Hamda, 30, had FGM when she was nine, which led to serious health problems throughout her life. Now she is an anti-FGM campaigner for ActionAid. Photo: Jennifer Huxta/Actionaid
Hamda is the deputy leader of a women's coalition in Somaliland. She is a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), and she works tirelessly to persuade people within her local community to stop carrying out FGM on their daughters, by sharing her experiences and how it could have destroyed her marriage.
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Emily works with communities in West Pokot to support and protect women and girls and raise awareness about the dangers for FGM. Photo: Ashley Hamer /ActionAid
Emily, 42, is a local ActionAid worker who lives in West Pokot, Kenya. Committed to changing the lives of women and girls in the region, she works with a network of more than 100 women from surrounding villages to help stamp out female genital mutilation (FGM). Since ActionAid started working there, Emily says fewer girls are facing the cut and many more are staying in school. But, as she explains here, there is still much to do to end the practice for good.
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