LilYemen Conference on Child Marriage and FGM/C

LONDON, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

(Speakers available for case studies and comment on UK and UNICEF Girl Summit) 

LilYemen will present some of the world's leading campaigners against child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) at its conference - Empowering Future Generations Against Child Marriage and FGM - on Monday 21 July at the School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London.

The conference takes place ahead of the UK Government and UNICEF's Girl Summit on Tuesday 22 July. LilYemen is one of five organisations to be profiled at the summit as a good example of community-led social change.

For outlets covering the Girl Summit 2014, LilYemen has the following speakers available for comment, interview or case studies:

Aissa Edon is a midwife working at Ealing Hospital, London. She was subjected to FGM in Mali, aged six, together with her one-year-old sister. She has created an FGM-specific clinic at the hospital, and is a member of the FGM national Clinical Group.

Shada Nasser is a Yemeni lawyer specialising in human rights. She has campaigned relentlessly to bring about the end of child marriage in Yemen. She was the lawyer for the high profile case of Nujood Ali, Yemeni child bride in 2008.

LilYemen Conference speakers also include:

- Amal Al-Basha, Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights
- Aissa Edon, Founder of Hope Clinic
- Shada Nasser, human rights lawyer
- Afrah Qassim, Founder, SAVERA
- Eman Qaid Mashhour, human rights activist
- Amal Al-Ariqi, OXFAM, Sana'a
- Hend Nasiri, Youth campaigner on early marriage

LilYemen spokesperson, Safa Mubgar said: "There is almost universal agreement that child marriage and FGM are violations of a girl's rights to health, well-being and self-determination, but both are still commonplace. The law is not enough to prevent them. We must get men and women, and boys and girls, to speak out against and condemn these practices so that they become socially unacceptable in Yemen and around the world."

The conference takes place on Monday 21 July 2014, 2pm-6pm at SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Notes to editors

1. LilYemen is an NGO that supports vulnerable girls facing violence and abuse. We give girls a voice, and with the help of the Yemeni community determine steps of action going forward.

2. Social media: 

Facebook.com/lilyemen (https://www.facebook.com/LilYemen)

Twitter.com/teamlilyemen (https://twitter.com/TeamLilyemen)