FGM survivor and activist tells how maps are helping activists like herself better find and protect girls at risk in Mara, Tanzania, particularly during the cutting season. She also talks about the particular challenges faced by female mappers, and her recent talk at the United Nations General Assembly and the FGM mapathon held at UNFPA and in 60 countries worldwide

1. Fighting
Female Genital Mutilation
with
Maps

2. FGM
The cutting of female genitalia for cultural or religious reasons:
Type 1: partial or total removal of the clitoris
Type 2: as Type 1 with additional removal of the labia minora and often the labia majora
Type 3: re-arrangement of the genitals to narrow the vaginal opening
Type 4: all other procedures (pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing)

3. Girls are rounded up during the
‘Cutting Season’
when they are on school holidays
70% +
50% +
Less than 50%
FGM Prevalence in Tanzanian Women and Girls 2016

4. Local FGM survivor and Hope
Director Rhobi Samwelly
Hope for Girls and Women supports:
• Local Activists
• Outreach
work
• Safe Houses

5. But girls cannot find the safehouses:
And safehouse staff cannot find them:

6. This is rural Tanzania:
This is Dar es Salaam:

7. Activists
in rural Tanzania
need
MAPS!

8. We are making them!

9. Smartphones a novelty in the areas we are
mapping, and are usually owned by men

10. HOT Microgrant enabled us to
recruit female mappers for the
first time

11. But female mappers face additional
challenges:
• Men telling them they are “wasting
their time” and should be at home
doing their chores
• Harrassment, threats and inappropriate
touching from men, particularly when
travelling on public transport
• Plots to lure them to remote places to
be raped or assaulted

12. 1. We do it to help increase
development in our communities.
2.To help girls escape FGM -activists
houses are being added and roads.
3.To help other women in villages be
able to escape gender based
violence like women beating
4.To be part of change in our
communities
SO WHY DO THESE WOMEN MAP? IN THEIR OWN WORDS

13. 1.Educating people about maps
and mapping and its importance
to the community and nation at
large.
2.Men in villages to be educated
on gender equality and treating
women right.
3.Security to be increased in
villages; for example presence
of more police stations
How can these challenges be overcome? In their own words

14. Better maps have:
• helped 3000+ girls to find safehouses
and avoid being cut
• coincided with a reduced FGM
death rate of 75%

15. We have trained over 600 local activists to map their
communities in Tanzania, around 40% female

16. Mapping is a tool towards
greater gender equality and
measuring progresses towards
the SDGs.

17. Last week I was asked to tell my story as
an FGM survivor and activist at the UN
in New York

18. We were also invited to
organise a mapathon at
UNFPA in New York.
It was attended by 60 people
from UNFPA, UNICEF,
HOTOSM, Youthmappers and
others

19. To coincide with this
we held a global
mapathon events in 60
countries.
Including at the
Ministry for Women in
Somalia, in Mali,
Guinea, Kenya, Niger,
Uganda and many
others.

21. Screenings for Raindance
film festival:
Vue Picadilly
Thu 4/10 6.30pm,
Fri 5/10 4pm
And at University of
Westminster Tue 9/10 7pm

22. Please join us and help map to help protect girls from FGM!
Rhobi Samwelly
mndlutume@gmail.com
@Rhobi15