Working to prevent female genital mutilation in East Africa, ISF was facing funding loss. The NGO itself and the difficult subject had been buried under massive global and national issues. Yet, FGM is a deadly tradition devastating lives as we speak. Every minute six girls are mutilated. There are 200 million women and girls in the world who have gone through it. Each year 44 0000 women die of the consequences of FGM. It is one of the most blatant human rights violations hindering the economical, cultural ja social development of millions of people and communities. In the autumn of 2023, ISF was running out of options to fight this issue. They needed Finland, the target countries, and the world to wake up to the issue – and secure their funding for the future.

Female genital mutilation is a severe human rights violation inflicting psychological,

emotional and physical trauma to women around the world. Unfortunately, it's often perceived as a marginal issue, a distant tradition confined to specific cultures. In reality, it's a global problem affecting already 200 million women on every continent, and hindering the economical, cultural and political development of millions of communities.

With a nearly non-existent marketing budget, and the sensitive topic of FGM, traditional advertising was out of the question. We needed to make a powerful, far-reaching impact that would break through the press. That called for audacity. On the International Day of the Girl Child, Oct. 11th, the ISF turned to the ultimate guardian of humanity’s most priceless heritage, and submitted an application to Finland’s UNESCO representatives demanding the inclusion of female genitalia on UNESCO World Heritage List.

Due to sensitivity aspects, traditional marketing could have had damaging consequences, and even in journalistic media, the topic has been challenging to cover. We wanted to create an approach that was direct, in line with the harsh truth but also respectful of the victims, and, above all, solution-oriented. Calling for action, calling for an end to FGM worldwide. Therefore, the PR appealed directly to the highest decision-makers and aimed to raise common awareness. The key message was straightforward: International Solidarity Foundation is proposing to include the female genitalia on UNESCO World Heritage List as a protective measure against female genital mutilation.

The PR goal was to increase awareness, especially in target countries, and influence potential new Finnish donors. While the issue had been a concern of a small group of female donors before, now the aim was to make it of interest to a broad audience regardless of gender.

On the International Day of the Girl Child, Oct. 11th, the ISF submitted an application to the Finnish Heritage Agency, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO demanding the inclusion of female genitalia on UNESCO World Heritage List. At the same time, through strategically positioned 31 billboards surrounding UNESCO headquarters in Paris, and the Parliament of Finland, we strongly urged decision-makers to take action. A national and global press release was issued that same morning, and distributed selectively to chosen journalists as well as a larger audience. ISF harnessed all its social media channels for the plea as well.

Immediately the act gained significant attention in both Finland and the target countries – especially in Kenya, a crucial country for ISF, and for the eradication of FGM. The application spread throughout major news media and the public's social media.

The campaign was addressed by Finland's major media, including Finland's largest digital news media Iltalehti which reaches half of the Finnish population weekly. It was even reported by the national public broadcasting company YLE, and it was front page news of Kenya's (a key target country) largest and 2nd largest newspapers and 2nd largest TV channel.

It gathered 47 media hits globally with a reach of 31.3 million, and mentions increased by +440 % in social media. The message was delivered exactly as wished and the overall tone was positive on the articles and social media discussion.

For the ISF the campaign proved to be an all-time high success with donations increasing on all fronts: +58 % in online donations, +123 % in mobile donations, and most importantly +500 % in new monthly donors – securing their work for years to come.