The UNICEF-powered FROWN CHALLENGE targets using the agents of change (Young generation) to create information pressure and actions that will catalyse ending female genital mutilation with the use of catalytic photographs. A large population visits the social media for entertainment, information, news, fun, networking and so on whenever time permits, But then It is the real life situations that drive what happens on the social media. But close to 95% of all activities that happen on the social media are galvanized by youths as they share striking messages driven by interesting audios/videos, catchy photographs and attractive titles of links (webpage). This implies that for a full scale multimedia campaign, there must not only be a customised social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook. Youtube, Instagram and a website, but also a consistent real life intervention or activity to feed and populate those social media platforms.

The FROWN CHALLENGE aims, in the long run, to encourage all Nigerians home and abroad, to volunteer a “frown” against female genital mutilation on #endcuttinggirls social platforms. These frowns will come as placard photographs and short videos. Those who wish to join this challenge will have to follow the following procedures. Participants/challengers will;

Step 1. Write “#endcuttinggirls”, “A quote in favour of FGMC abandonment”, “his/her Name”, and “twitter/Instagram account” on a placard. For instance, a placard may contain “#endcuttinggirls”, “FGM/C is woman slavery” “ademola” “@realademola”

Step 2. hold and take a photograph/selfie or a 20 seconds video using the placard in step 1.

Step 3. Post this placard photograph on twitter, or instagram tagging @endcuttinggirls.

All photographs will be reviewed as no one is left out. The most powerful frowns will be selected to become #endcuttinggirls ambassadors in areas of high prevalence.

In order to create awareness, we propose 20,100 Volunteer-Frowns against Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria from Stakeholders and media personalities annually till 2030. This awareness will be created using #endcuttinggirls customised placards and it will cover 6 states in Nigeria, with the FROWN CHALLENGE team on ground.

Summarily, The 2017 #endcuttinggirls Frown Challenge proposes.

  • FROWN CHALLENGE Photographs posted directly online tagging @endcuttinggirls by Nigerians from locations in Nigeria and abroad

Features: Quotes, short videos, placard photographs.

  • 100 media personalities photographs: This includes policy makers, artistes, actors and actresses, politicians and the press.

Features: 100 Frowns@ FGM/C Interviews, Signatures/Autographs, photographs and quotes in favour of  FGM/C abandonment.

  • 20,000 Models placard photographs:

Features: 20,000 Frowns @ FGM/C from Nigerians across 6 states: These are Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Imo, and Ebonyi State.

TABLE 1: WORK PLAN FOR FROWN CHALLENGE OUTREACHES.

S/N Main Item Activity Duration Venue Deliverable
1. PHOTOCAMPAIGN

10th March-

27th June

 PREPARATION & ADVOCACY and PRELIMINARY PHOTOGRAPHS APRIL 10th-APRIL 29th Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ebonyi & Imo All Banners, #endcuttinggirls mic box, Aggressive    e-posters promotion
LAUNCHING OF CAMPAIGN APRIL 30th MEETS MEDIA, LAGOS Project Launched.

First photographs/Autographs taken

LAGOS PHOTOCAMPAIGN MAY4th- JUNE 30th

 

 10 Selected LGAs in Lagos Photo campaign kicks off

10,000 Pictures

+100 celebrity pictures.

10,100 signatures/Auto graphs against FGM/C

12 Celebrity interviews (As I take see am)
OYO PHOTO-CAMPAIGN JULY 3th-JULY 7th OYO STATE 2,000 PHOTOGRAPHS+

SIGNATURES AGAINST FGM/C

1 UNIQUE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW/DOCUMENTARY
OSUN PHOTO-CAMPAIGN JULY 24th-JULY 28th OSUN

STATE

 2,000 PHOTOGRAPHS+

SIGNATURES AGAINST FGM/C

1 UNIQUE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW/DOCUMENTARY
EKITI

PHOTO-CAMPAIGN

 JUNE 19th-JUNE 23th EKITI STATE 2,000 PHOTOGRAPHS+

SIGNATURES AGAINST FGM/C

1 UNIQUE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW/DOCUMENTARY
IMO STATE

PHOTO-CAMPAIGN

 JULY

10th-JULY 14th

 IMO STATE 2,000 PHOTOGRAPHS+

SIGNATURES AGAINST FGM/C

1 UNIQUE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW/DOCUMENTARY
EBONYI STATE

PHOTO-CAMPAIGN

 JULY 17th-JULY 21st EBONYI STATE 2,000 PHOTOGRAPHS+

SIGNATURES AGAINST FGM/C

1 UNIQUE SURVIVOR INTERVIEW/DOCUMENTARY
LAGOS STATE

PHOTO-CAMPAIGN ENDS

 JULY 30th LAGOS STATE PRESS CONFERENCE AT TLD MEDIA OFFICE.
2. UNVEILING THE MOST POWERFUL

FROWNS

 100 MOST POWERFUL FROWNS

ORIENTAL HOTEL

 OCTOBER 21st LAGOS STATE MEETS MEDIA.

FGM/C adherents are increase in areas of high prevalence is directly proportional to its inherent population increase. We need interventions that can make FGMC abandonment drastically overtake new custodian of this harmful traditions and consequently the number of new adherents. The online FGM/C abandonment FROWN CHALLENGE will go a long way in making our behavioural change efforts more popular amongst the Nigerian youths

During the recent production of 21 Audio-Visual materials for FGM/C abandonment, it was discovered that the use of the term FGM for the practice may be slowing down behavioural change communication especially in the rural communities. There were instances when respondents had to be enlightened that FGM/C is the same practice as what was generally known as Female circumcision. Behavioral change towards the abandonment of this procedure has to now pass through 2 stages;

Stage 1. Creating awareness that The term “Female circumcision” is no longer acceptable and the new term is FGM/C, that is, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Stage 2. Creating awareness towards the abandonment of FGM/C.

This effort plans to project #endcuttinggirls as the epicenter of this campaign so that consequently, more people will be very conversant with the term Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) as a replacement for the term “Female Circumcision” and  more easily abandon the practice. Also whoever agrees to our model photograph is automatically declaring him or herself as an advocate. We intend to use this medium to reach thousands of Nigerians through these instant advocates. For instance, If an artiste with 50,000 fans on facebook agrees to volunteer his “frown”, we have the tendency of reaching 50,000 fans who wants to know more about FGM/C and a large part of them will come across our FGM/C abandonment materials online.

This is the reason #endcuttinggirls comes handy. #endcuttinggirls will make more impact on FGM/C abandonment than any other #tag being used in this campaign. #endcuttinggirls bridges the gap between #endFGMC and #endfemalecircumcision.

In accelerating change, in this regard, all hands must be on deck. This is not unconnected to the gathering of young selects of social media activists in Abuja between 16th and 19th of November 2015, to discuss and agree on how best to engage the online population to be the epicenter of movement against FGM/C. The Social Media Campaign to end FGM was considered inevitable towards the achievement of the strategic goal of the joint UNFPA/UNICEF Programme on FGM/C abandonment-in line with the SDG 5, target 3. Hence, at this gathering, it was agreed that the hash tag to be used for the social media campaign on all useful platforms is #endcuttinggirls. Short Videos and documentaries have been produced with focus on Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo State.

Together, we will end Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting in this generation.