Project presentation
In Côte d’Ivoire, one in three women is subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). This practice affects all social backgrounds, both in urban and rural areas, causing women severe physical, psychological, and social suffering. Medical care is not free or reimbursed, and women who dare to speak out about these abuses are often stigmatized. Although FGM is illegal, the law is rarely enforced and is not accompanied by preventive measures. In fact, the law has unintended consequences, such as increasingly subjecting babies to FGM because they cannot speak or report the violence. The Ivorian government has not taken a clear public stance on the issue and mainly relies on associations to combat the practice.
To support women affected by sexual mutilation, Marie-Claire Kakpotia Moraldo created a branch of her association Les Orchidées Rouges in Abidjan. The association offers women who are victims of FGM, forced marriages, or gender-based and sexual violence comprehensive and unconditional support to help them recover physically, socially, and psychologically.
