Bignona Departmental Public Declaration

April 24, 2010 proved to be a remarkable day for the region of Ziguinchor, in south-western Senegal, as 330 villages of the Bignona department gathered to publicly announce their decision to abandon the traditions of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage. This is the fourth departmental declaration in Senegal, bringing the number of communities that have abandoned FGC to a total of 4229 since 1997. This declaration represents a significant step towards Senegal’s goal of complete abandonment of FGC by 2015, and represents a landmark in Tostan’s work in the region of Ziguinchor.

Click here to read more about the declaration and about Tostan’s work in the area.