Cork hero fights genital mutilation
“She has been our beacon of hope and courage in our effort to end female genital mutilation.”
One of Cork’s great heroes, Mary Crilly is to be honoured today in recognition of her tireless efforts to stop female genital mutilation (FGM) and early and forced marriages (EFM) in Ireland.
Mary, who is the CEO and Founder of Sexual Violence Centre Cork, will receive her award this morning (Thursday) at the kick off meeting of the Join our CHAIN Project at UCC.
A first of its kind in Ireland, the EU funded project addresses the coexistence of FGM and EFM in a bid to end harmful cultural practices affecting women and girls in Ireland.
FGM is illegal in Ireland under the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012. It is also included as a form of child abuse in the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017).
Today’s event brings together community trainers and stakeholders who are going to be part of the project.
One such stakeholder is AkiDwA, an NGO dedicated to protecting the rights of migrant women in Ireland. Paying tribute to Mary Crilly, AkiDwA CEO, Dr Salome Mbugua acknowledged Mary’s endless support and praised her effort to raise awareness of FGM in Cork and beyond.
“She has been our beacon of hope and courage in our effort to end FGM, this she has done for many years, holding art exhibition with students from UCC and the community, she has been a great friend and supporter of our work,” said Dr Mbugua.
She added: “She continues to embrace all women equally and especially the very vulnerable, she brings the voices of those who are not on the table whenever she gets a chance.”
AkiDwA, which is based in Dublin, believes professionals working with children in Ireland should be informed and trained to identify girls at risk. The NGO is also pushing for across the board training for teachers, professors, gardaí, nurses, and doctors on how to recognise signs that indicate a girl may have been subjected to FGM and EFM or at risk of the practices.
Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle will be the guest of honour at this morning’s event which takes place from 10.30am at UCC's Electrical Engineering Building room LL2.