INTERNATIONAL FGM DAY

February 6, 2014: Centreville, VA. – Today, February 6th is International Zero Tolerance for FGM Day.  It is the day set aside to observe all of the girls and women who have either survived or perished at the blade of the heinous practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation has advocated against FGM since 2005, and continues to make this brutal practice its primary focus.

President and Founder, Angela Peabody’s recently released book, When the Games Froze (ISBN 978-1-62871-180-6 by Xulon Press) is an educational and informative tool about the practice of FGM.  Peabody captures the reader’s attention by combining Christianity, American Football and Female Genital Mutilation in a brilliant way.  Although Peabody and her Board are not survivors of the practice, they have made it a passion of theirs to end FGM.  Peabody has pledged all proceeds from her book to support Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation toward ending FGM.

“It is our wish at Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation that every woman in the U.S. joins us today by wearing something purple in observance of this day.” Peabody said.  “Purple is the official color against FGM, and we want to see purple everywhere today as we continue to strive toward ending this atrocious practice.”

In Africa, 8000 girls are genitally mutilated each day.  As we observe this day, there will be 8000 or more girls mutilated in villages today.  FGM can cause a range of health problems, both short-term and long-term.  The kinds of problems that develop depend upon the degree of the cutting and the cleanliness of the tools used to perform the cutting.  In most countries, FGM is performed in unclean conditions where unsterilized scissors, razor blades or knives are used.   For more information about Peabody’s book and FGM, please visit the websiteat www.globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

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