Sonia Aziz Malik - Senior Lecturer, Regional Institute of Gender, Diversity, Peace and Rights, Ahfad University for Women - DFID Girl Summit 2014

Spotlight A7 - "The Role of Health, Education & Social Care Professionals in Creating Change"

Context: This presentation is from one of the 14 "Spotlights on Progress" video-recorded sessions from the Girl Summit 2014, London, United Kingdom (UK). The sessions were organised to share best practice between practitioners, grassroots activists, and government ministers across the issues of female genital mutilation (FGM) (also FGM/C - female genital mutilation/cutting) and child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). The Girl Summit is a project of the Department for International Development (DFID), UK. This particular spotlight shares stories about inspiring teachers and committed health workers, as well as evidence from around the world showing how health and education systems and services can connect with communities.

Profile of speaker: Ms. Sonia Aziz Malik is a gender specialist, women's rights activist, advocate, and Commissioner of Oaths. Her work includes published papers on the legal status of FGM and on laws on violence against women and challenges of implementation. Ahfad University for Women (AUW), Sudan, has been working against FGM for 35 years, beginning with a partnership with the Association of Obstetricians in Sudan.

Strategy overview: In her presentation "Education, Community Empowerment, Advocacy and Research for Combatting FGM in Sudan", which can be viewed in the video below, Ms. Malik discussed lessons and results from AUW's long history of work against FGM - including work to mainstream FGM/C in course curricula, research, and the important civic engagement role for university teaching staff and students working with the wider community. She explained that AUW uses a mixture of teaching, special events, songs, and outreach programmes to tackle harmful gender norms. They also support research and conduct advocacy work. According to Ms. Malik, this engagement by the university has ensured that projects have been sustained, laws have been introduced banning harmful practices, FGM has been reduced in some areas. She explained that, through their work, they have learned the importance of: cultural sensitivity, timing interventions with girls' bodies, de-linking the practice from Islam, and both solid data and strong political commitments.

Overview of this Summit session: "Change is underway. Health, education and social care systems and those within them can make it go faster and further. This spotlight will share exciting stories and evidence from around the world: stories of inspiring teachers and committed health workers - and evidence for how health and education systems and services can connect with communities." Following an introduction by Edward Timpson MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children & Families in the Department for Education, England, the Chair of this session, Jane Ellison, MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health at the Department of Health, moderated the panel of speakers. In order of appearance, they are:

• Dr. Guyo Jaldesa, Senior Lecturer, University of Nairobi, and Coordinator of the Africa Coordinating Centre for the Abandonment of FGM
• Astrid Fairclough, Female Genital Mutilation Prevention - Programme Manager, Department of Health, Government of the United Kingdom
• Saria Khalifa, Youth Programme Lead, FORWARD
• Dr. Ravi Verma, Regional Director, ICRW Asia Regional Office
• Sonia Aziz Malik, Senior Lecturer, Regional Institute of Gender, Diversity, Peace and Rights, Ahfad University for Women

Footage of this (available below) presentation and others are available on DFID’s YouTube channel.

The Girl Summit is a project of DFID. Click here and scroll down to see the full list of individuals and organisations committed to working on girls' issues, as well as a list of Girl Summit Charter signatories.