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<a href="https://plan-uk.org/about/our-work/fgm/the-uncut-girls-club" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline;" title="https://plan-uk.org/about/our-work/fgm/the-uncut-girls-club
Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">https://plan-uk.org/about/our-work/fgm/the-uncut-girls-club</a></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.0pt">THE UNCUT GIRLS’ CLUB - ENDING FGM WITHIN A GENERATION</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">Over fifty inspiring girls make up the Uncut Girls’ Club, which takes place in a Plan International supported school in Ethiopia where members are educated on the consequences of Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM). From there, they spread the message to their families and community, empowering their peers while putting an end to this harmful practice. </span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B"><img 0?="" width="800" height="600" id="Picture_x0020_2" alt="Lenteta is part of the FGM Uncut Girls' Club" style="width: 8.3333in; height: 6.25in; user-select: none;" src=""></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:16.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#243C4B; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt">“WE WANT TO HELP SAVE OTHER GIRLS FROM FGM”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5pt">LENTETA, 16</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“In the past, my girlfriends and I used to chat about when and how our FGM would take place and what kind of a ceremony would follow. Nowadays, we talk about what we can do to end FGM.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“Because FGM is a part of our history and a respected tradition, it was something we girls were looking forward to and wanted to go through - even though we did not know exactly what
it meant.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">"When Plan International set up the Uncut Girls’ Club at our school, I was not happy about it. I did not think it was a good idea to stop FGM. When the people from Plan International
explained to our class the consequences of FGM, I completely changed my mind and decided to join the Uncut Girls’ Club.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“When my friends and I decided to save ourselves from this monstrosity, we also decided we would have to help save other girls.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"><img 0?="" width="800" height="600" id="Picture_x0020_3" alt="Dorite is proud not to have been through FGM" style="width: 8.3333in; height: 6.25in; user-select: none;" contextid="img109218" tabindex="0" src=""></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt">"WE ARE PROUD WE HAVE NOT BEEN CUT"</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5pt">DORITE, 14</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“My parents made the decision to spare all their daughters from FGM even before Plan International started spreading information in our village.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“Two of my older sisters decided to have the procedure of their own free will. They were afraid that, unless they were cut, they would be bullied and no-one would want to marry them.
They took on odd jobs to collect the money for the procedure, and the traditional circumciser in our village did it with a razor blade. My parents were furious and my sisters lived with our neighbour for some time. Finally, my parents forgave them.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">"It is not always easy for us that everyone knows we are uncut. When we go to get water from the well or when we are walking to school, people point at us and laugh, because we have
not been cut according to the tradition. Some people think that we are not clean and obedient.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"><img 0?="" width="800" height="600" id="Picture_x0020_5" alt="Weyinitu now refuses to have FGM" style="width: 8.3333in; height: 6.25in; user-select: none;" src=""></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:16.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt">"I QUESTION CIRCUMCISERS KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL"</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5pt">WEYINITU, 12</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“I used to respect traditional circumcisers. Now I question their knowledge and skills. It is extremely dangerous for them to be using the same, unclean razor blade for cutting more
than one girl. That is exactly how HIV spreads.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“My FGM date had already been set when the project against FGM was launched at my school. When I became educated about the consequences of FGM, there was only one thought in my mind:
my FGM must be called off! Fortunately, my parents listened to the new information, and they understood and supported me.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“If my future husband wants to have a cut bride, I will refuse to have FGM. I will try to explain to him the consequences of FGM. He can marry me only if he understands my decision.” </span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B"><img 0?="" width="800" height="600" id="Picture_x0020_6" alt="Dirshaye is thankful for the FGM Uncut Girls' Club" style="width: 8.3333in; height: 6.25in; user-select: none;" src=""></span><span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#243C4B; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt">"MY MOTHER AVIDLY OPPOSES FGM"</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5pt">DIRSHAYE, 13</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“I know a girl suffered because of her FGM. There was a lot of blood, and the girl could not go to the hospital, because her family was scared they would be punished. FGM is prohibited
by Ethiopian law and the people risked being fined.</span></p>
<p style="background: rgb(217, 217, 214); vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“My friend was treated by the traditional circumciser, with traditional methods. She had a bad infection and was in bed for over a month. She is still in a lot of pain and she also has
a scar that will surely complicate delivering babies.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#243C4B">“When I heard of her experience, I decided I would not go through the same. My mother was puzzled by my decision and asked me why I did not want to be a part of this respected tradition.
When I told her the things I have learnt at school and at Uncut Girls’ Club, she began to fully support me.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"><img 0?="" width="800" height="600" id="Picture_x0020_7" alt="Birtukan says the Uncut Girls' Club has given her the courage to say no to FGM" style="width: 8.3333in; height: 6.25in; user-select: none;" src=""></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070"></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.3pt">"THE CLUB GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO SAY NO"</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1.5pt">BIRTUKAN, 15</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“The Uncut Girls’ Club gave me the opportunity to change my attitude. Now I want to offer others the same chance. In the past, everything connected to FGM felt intimidating.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“The club has increased the self-confidence of us girls in many ways. As we have the courage to speak out on a sensitive matter, we also dare to speak out in class and answer just as
eagerly as the boys.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“I think that the appreciation for girls and women in our society will grow, the more active and better informed girls become. In the past parents would rather just send their boys to
school, but this is starting to change as a result of Plan International’s work.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"inherit",serif; color:#707070">“When I grow up, I want to have a daughter. And she will not be cut.”</span></p>
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