In Egypt, the summer holidays (July, August, September) are a period during which the rates of female circumcision increase significantly. Tadwein for Gender Studies had previously used the expression
hashtag
#Harvest_Seasonin one of its campaigns to refer to this period, as families often exploit the school break to cut their daughters—claiming that they will have enough time to “heal” without their absence from school being noticed. However, circumcision is neither a medical procedure nor a cultural tradition; it is a crime and a violation of human and child rights according to all international conventions.
In this context, Tadwein for Gender Studies is launching the campaign “Summer without Scars” to raise awareness of the dangers of circumcision and work toward ending the practice. The campaign includes a number of activities.
First, we are organizing a series of community dialogue sessions in collaboration with our local partners or “community champions”—individuals we’ve trained and worked with on previous projects—to lead these discussions. We are also training new voices, helping them expand their skills, knowledge base, and capacity to design and implement projects that engage different segments of society.
Second, we are holding several mobile health caravans to ensure that rural and underserved areas have access to healthcare, while also providing an opportunity for medical experts to speak about the dangers of circumcision.
Finally, we are developing new ways of talking about circumcision that we hope will help protect a new generation of girls from this crime and allow them to enjoy a safe summer free from harm.
