Will attempts to put an end to the practice of female genital mutilation be futile — no matter how many aid dollars are spent, or how many campaigns launched? Interventions, suggest FGM experts we spoke with, are “set up to fail” when carried out in silos instead of combining multiple, mutually reinforcing strategies.
And is the same true of the distribution of aid dollars aimed at addressing the issue?
Despite strong rhetoric and undeniable good intentions, donors that focus solely on big organizations and big campaigns run the risk of making a smaller impact if they miss out on making their support available at the grass-roots level, warn the experts.
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About the authors
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
Ma. Eliza VillarinoDevexElizaJV
Eliza is a veteran journalist focused on covering the most pressing issues and latest innovations in global health, humanitarian aid, sustainability, and development. A member of Mensa, Eliza has earned a master's degree in public affairs and bachelor's degree in political science from the University of the Philippines.
