Jaha Dukureh - Talking About the Unspeakable

It takes someone strong and courageous, like Jaha Dukureh to stop the common practice of female genital mutilation. Instead of turning away from this unspeakable act, she has decided to make a difference and to let no one forget what is happening in many places around the world.

When Dukureh was only an infant, she was subjected to amputation of her external sexual organs in Gambia. In fact, the mutilation was so bad that it caused her extreme pain throughout her life.

After her mother died, she came to America for an arranged marriage at the young age of 15-years-old. During sexual relations, Dukureh experienced a lot of pain and decided to get surgery to reverse the infibulation. However, the surgery was just as painful as the initial genital mutilation was when she was a child.

Now living with family members in Atlanta, she has done a lot to protect other girls from female genital mutilation. She started “Safe Hands for Girls” to help fight the practice internationally and in America, where around 500,000 women are still at risk. Dukureh also helped to make it illegal to transport girls from the United States abroad for female genital mutilation. Even though Dukureh has gotten many threats and anger from her community, she will not be silenced.

The feminine name Jaha is an African name that means “destined to be a ruler”. While in Swahili the name means “dignity” and is a common name for girls.