Three in-depth baseline and endline studies are being carried out to measure the impact of the Born Perfect Caravans in shifting attitudes towards FGM across Somalia and the Somali regions of Kenya – where over 95% of girls are mutilated, and awareness of the new FGM bans shockingly low.
In a German-funded project that will use the proven Born Perfect model to bring the new FGM bans the last mile into high-prevalence communities, local partners in Galmudug, Wajir, and Garissa will work closely with independent impact measurement experts at Vivid Research and DataMill to carry out a robust impact assessment. In-depth qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered pre and post campaign, with a sample size of 600 household interviews measuring the impact of the Born Perfect model in raising awareness of the laws criminalising FGM in Somalia and Kenya and shifting attitudes towards FGM.
Wajir is Gearing Up
Grassroots activists from Women Organising Women Network (WOWN) in Wajir, a Somali region of East Kenya, are gearing up to begin their baseline measurement ahead of the Caravan launch, led by founder Katra Haji.
Working in a region with over 95% prevalence rate despite FGM being criminalised in Kenya for 15 years, Katra Haji and her team in Wajir are hopeful that the Caravans and media campaigns will bring the law into the communities who need to hear it most:
“For too long, the law has lived on paper while our girls live the consequences. This support from Germany is helping us carry the law to the villages, on the Born Perfect caravans and local media. Real change in Wajir does not come from outside, it comes when local organisations are trusted to lead. We are the voices people trust.
This partnership is shifting power to the community, where conversations about FGM can happen openly, and where change can finally take root. With this support, our caravans and media campaigns are reaching places where silence once ruled, turning awareness into action and giving families the courage to choose a different future.” – Katra Haji, Founder, Women Organizing Women Network-CBO.
Bringing the Born Perfect Model to the Somali Regions of East Africa
Similarly, local partners at the Ifrah Foundation in Galmudug, Somalia, and Girl Kind in Garissa, Kenya, are finalising their plans as they prepare to carry out a baseline survey before local media and caravan campaigns commence. While the project is building on the existing Born Perfect campaign in Kenya, funded by the European Union, the model is being launched in Somalia for the first time this month.
Adapting the locally-led Born Perfect model – which pairs Caravans and intense media campaigns – to local contexts, partners in all three locations expect to reach 30 hardline pro-FGM communities in Somali regions with some of the highest prevalence rates of FGM.
In collaboration with engaged local influencers and cultural leaders, frontline activists leading caravan and media campaigns will ensure that legal, medical, and religious messaging is widespread – no village left behind. No girl left behind. See more details on the upcoming project on our latest newsletter.
Cost-Effective Solutions – That We Know Work
As the third study measuring the Born Perfect Caravan’s effectiveness, this German-funded impactmeasurement will join previous studies in West Africa, funded by Irish Aid, the European Union, and UN Women, which demonstrate that an average of 79% of people who see the caravans say it changes their mind about FGM.
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn to see real-time results as frontliners bring the FGM ban the last mile in East Africa on Born Perfect Carvans – launching this month.
