topic for the women.
They wanted information on FGC and
wanted to discuss it in a safe space
like the classroom. They insisted we
include it in the women’s health
module. The module began with
human rights education and as the
women learned about human rights
and responsibilities and then learned
about the potentially harmful health
consequences of FGC, they began to
organize to abandon the practice.
Now over 7,000 communities have
declared an end to FGC.
I have always believed that if you feel
you are on a path that can lead to
the well-being of people, the
methods you use to achieve that goal
should be respectful and empathic.
There are times when we need to
move forward, other times when we
need to hold back. If I feel we are
moving forward respectfully and
always listening to the people we are
serving, I am never worried, and will
continue on with confidence and
patience. But that for me is not
courage—just determination and
perseverance.
I feel that empathy is often forgotten
in the world of development. People
are outraged about what’s going on
in the world – and with very good
intentions, they translate their
outrage into telling people, “This is
wrong!” or “Stop this immediately!”
But we are talking about systemic
Woman teaching with note board. Microcredit
seminar. Kolda, Senegal. 30 th May 2006.
change, and that goes deeper than
just telling people what to do. As a
foreigner, I needed to make sure that
I was sparking change in a non-
judgmental way. That is why at
Tostan we don’t use harsh or
aggressive language like “fighting” a
tradition that people believe in - as
fighting often leads to even more
resistance.
We prefer to encourage people to
make their own decisions for their
communities based on their
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