On Nov. 9 & 10, The Belgium Clitoraid team participated on the Fairy Tales Fair in Hasselt, Belgium. Monica Marcucci, responsible for the Netherlands and Flemish Belgium who organized the event recalls:

"We really enjoyed to have our stand surrounded by elves, fairies and dragons which the theme of the fair... The purpose of our team was to bring awareness to the plight of FGM victims and to inform people about Clitoraid’s actions. We distributed 2000 leaflets, while selling Belgian pralines in a “1€ for charity” campaign so that we could raise funds for allowing mutilated women to receive free clitoris restoration surgeries.

As responsible, I had an interview with the organizers of the fair that will go online to promote the event. Furthermore, Clitoraid’s stand was honored to receive the visit of the Belgian Welterweight professional boxer “Sugar Jackson”, of Ghanaian descent, who appeared very touched by the FGM problem.

All our gratitude goes to the organizers Nicole Martens and Rudy Verhaegen for their support, sponsoring and help, by having us as habitual guests at their fairs. The next appointment is planned for Antwerp on 22/23rd of February 2014."

Letter to Norbert Aleman, Producer of the Show Crazy Girls in Las Vegas concerning their offer to donate money to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, which they refused.

Dear Norbert Aleman,

I was shocked to learn that Susan G. Komen’s Breast Cancer Foundation has rejected your proposed donation of funds from a special anniversary performance.

I am the Director of Clitoraid, a Las Vegas-based, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that assists victims of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and I would be very honored and pleased to accept your donation.

Your generosity could make a crucial difference in the lives of those we assist!

Clitoraid (www.clitoraid.org) helps FGM victims obtain a new surgical procedure that rebuilds the mutilated clitoris, making it possible for victims to experience for the first time in their lives the physical pleasure most people take for granted. We are also working toward the worldwide elimination of female genital cutting, a barbaric custom that causes unbelievable suffering. It’s typically performed without anesthesia on young girls who are powerless to resist. They endure unspeakable agony from the mutilation and then suffer lifelong effects.

That’s where Clitoraid comes in. With help from people like you, we can reverse the devastating damage wrought by FGM. Our goal is to provide the needed surgery, plus pre-surgical and post-surgical counseling, free of charge to any woman who wants it.

Next year, in Burkina Faso, West Africa, we will open the world’s first dedicated clinic for FGM victims. Hundreds of women are eagerly awaiting the procedure, and thanks to our dedicated volunteer surgeons and staff, they will be able to have the clitoral reconstructive surgery free of charge.

Although construction of the new facility is in its final phases, we need additional funds for surgical equipment, medications and supplies. And once this clinic officially opens its doors, we’ll be planning a second one…and a third.

At our Web site, , you’ll find photos of our new clinic, testimonials from FGM victims we’ve helped, and articles explaining our humanitarian mission.

Your donation to Clitoraid could really change lives! And in our mutual celebration of women’s sensuality and the female body, “Crazy Girls” and Clitoraid would be a perfect match.

I look forward to your reply!

Very sincerely,

Nadine Gary,
Clitoraid Director of Communications

On October 3rd, Clitoraid Korea launched the campaign "Please help Africa women" on Insadong, a famous street in Korea.

A promotion of the "Pleasure hospital" and a fundraising took place at the same time.
in a festive atmosphere with balloons and T-shirts to attract the public.

Clitoraid spokesperson, Jina cause presented the cause on the microphone to the public while 30 volunteers both from Clitoraid and the Raelian Movement passed out hundreds of balloons and leaflets.

Many people accompanied by children donated money in the Clitoraid collection box.

We want to thank the Korean population for their generous donation. This is all the more meaningful because FGM cause is not very well known in Korea.

Thank you to our PR team for writing an effective Press Release that helped spread the news to the Korean media and specifically the newspaper Kokminilbo and Newsis (Internet news) that both published articles about Clitoraid's Korean Festival.

Clitoraid has been offering to train UK surgeons in Clitoroplasty since the UK doctors are only performing rudimentary surgery on FGM victims at the moment which are not aimed at restoring sexual pleasure.

www.dailymail.co.uk

- 300 victims required surgery to repair damage caused by brutal ritual
- A dozen children needed medical help, including one with 'open wound'
- Experts say figures do not give the full picture of growing number of cases
- DPP says it is 'only matter of time' before prosecution is brought in UK

More than 2,100 victims of female genital mutilation have been treated in London hospitals since 2010, it emerged today.

Almost 300 women needed surgery to help them recover from the brutal ritual, new figures have revealed.

Among those treated in the capital's hospitals included 12 children, including one girl who had been left with an 'open wound' following the criminal act.

Despite being illegal in the UK, female genital mutilation is on the rise with an estimated 66,000 women dealing with the after-effects and more than 20,000 young girls thought to be at risk.

The procedure is associated with communities in Africa, particularly Mali, Somalia, Sudan and Kenya, as well as some parts of the Middle East.

Many girls living in Britain are taken to these countries for be 'cut', and some will be as young as five.

But it is becoming more prevalent in the UK and experts say today's figures are 'truly shocking' but there are 'far more victims' than the data shows.

In the majority of cases the clitoris is removed because it gives sexual pleasure.
A total of 2,115 FGM patients were seen between 2010 and now, the Evening Standard has revealed.

Dr Comfort Momoh, a specialist in dealing with these injuries at St Thomas’ Hospital, said: 'These statistics show a very significant number of women are being treated for FGM.

'But there are still lots out there who are not being identified because they don’t know where to go for help, aren’t being referred by GPs or are too scared to come forward.

'I’m really worried about girls, in particular. Where are they going to seek help? The GPs who are their first point of call often don’t have the knowledge. We also need teachers and lecturers to do more to at least signpost girls towards help.'

Nimko Ali was seven when she underwent Female Genital Mutilation in Somalia and now campaigns against it through her charity Daughters of Eve.

'For too long, it has been passed off as a "cultural" ritual. But this act is not about celebration. FGM is gender-based violence, it's as simple as that,' she said.

It came as Director of Public Keir Starmer said it was 'only a matter of time' before there is a prosecution for female genital mutilation.

'I think a prosecution is much closer now than it's been at any stage since this was made a criminal offence in this country,' he said.

'We have devised a strategy, and we have now got the intelligence-led operations that are bringing us very close to a prosecution.

'I do not think that's a failure - that is trying to grapple with a difficult problem. If it was easy there would have been a prosecution.'