Over 14,000 signatures (as of March 2004)

The Pledge Against Excision was started in the spring of 2001 and gathered momentum quickly. By July of 2001, we had collected almost a thousand signatures on the Pledge, in which people pledge never to excise a daughter and to protect her from those who would want to have her excised. At first we had 30 groups signed on to help gather signatures, as well as a number of individuals. In March 2004 there were 45 groups, and we had collected 14,000 signatures.

Groups and individuals in the network continue to collect signatures and many are committed to expanding the project, organizing people to gather signatures, having meetings to help people decide whether to sign, and distributing materials in support of the campaign. This is the power of collaboration.

The Pledge provides people with a conversation starter about a topic that is difficult for most Malians to discuss. Being tangible and quantifiable, signatures give all involved a feeling of progress and a way of measuring success. People like the Pledge, and they collect signatures on it voluntarily and enthusiastically. People get caught up in the excitement of the campaign.

Before asking people to sign the Pledge our anti-FGC staff and volunteers engage in serious and extensive conversations, both one-on-one and in organizational meetings. The many conversations that take place in the course of gathering signatures, and the public meetings that we organize to reinforce the message, have significantly raised the intensity of discussion about FGM, making more people see that many Malians now question this practice

We take photographs of people participating in the campaign, used to give to signers and for publicity. A major achievement of the Pledge Against Excision occurs each time we get an exciser - practitioner of FGM - to commit to stopping and changing careers. For every exciser who stops practicing, countless women and girls are potentially rescued. Please see the list of excisers who have stopped practicing and committed to Project Stop Excision.

Below is the text of the Pledge Against Excision, the signature campaign of Healthy Tomorrow / Sini Sanuman.

Pledge Against Excision
I am against excision and I promise to fight against this practice in all its forms. If I have a daughter, I will not have her excised and I will do everything to protect her from those who would like to have her excised.

Once we have collected 50,000 signatures on the Pledge Against Excision we will hand them in to the National Assembly, inviting those who have signed to make this a major public ceremony, and to mobilize the public even further through additional media attention.