Community of Practices on FGM (CoP-FGM)
CoP FGM
What is a community of practice?
A Community of Practice (CoP) is a “group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and who interact regularly in order to learn how to do it better”.
Founded in 2017, the Community of Practice on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM CoP) is a bilingual international network (FR/EN) comprising professionals and activists working on FGM. The CoP works towards the abandonment of FGM and the promotion of the well-being and human rights of women and girls.
The Community of Practice is open to anyone concerned or interested in FGM in their work (fieldwork, research, communication, advocacy…) or activism, located anywhere in the world, with a focus on the African and European continents.
Professionals with diverse backgrounds (social workers, facilitators, researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, technical experts, civil society representatives, representatives of international institutions, students, journalists, religious and traditional leaders, etc.) are welcome to join the FGM CoP.
Building bridges to Combat Female Genital Mutilation
The CoP FGM is part of the project “Building bridges between Africa and Europe to stop FGM” coordinated by the Italian NGO AIDOS, in partnership with GAMS Belgium.
The project aims to foster a mutual learning approach on the subject of FGM by enabling professionals and activists to come together and exchange their experiences, with the goal of improving prevention, advocacy, support for affected women and girls, and associated policies.
Excerpts from the CoP FGM charter
Our goal is the abandonment of FGM and the promotion of the well-being and human rights of women/girls.
This community of practice allows professionals and activists to exchange with a focus on mutual learning and improvement of prevention, advocacy, and support actions for those affected, as well as associated policies.
The CoP FGM is a heterogeneous group. We encourage non-technical, accessible, and simple communication, ensuring that all members can understand and participate. Any subject related to FGM can be discussed within the CoP FGM. A debate can be initiated by a member or by the moderators. We encourage critical and constructive reflection. The debate should always remain focused on the theme and aim for collective learning.