The International Solidarity Foundation, a Finnish NGO battling female genital mutilation, was losing funding and awareness. As a last resort they decided to break through the press with an unexpected plea: demanding the inclusion of female genitalia in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the Western world, FGM has often been perceived as a distant problem associated with non-contemporary cultures. Women who have experienced FGM are typically depicted as part of isolated cultural traditions. As a result, the cause has faced challenges in gaining media coverage and capturing the attention of broader audiences, despite its impact on the lives of women worldwide, with over 200 million victims.

The UNESCO World Heritage List application shifted the narrative from particular to universal, highlighting that women affected by FGM weren't just bound by tradition but victims of human rights violations demanding global recognition through institutions and the press.

Every minute six girls are mutilated. 200 million women and girls worldwide who have undergone FGM. Each year this practice claims the lives of 44,000 women. Yet the issue persists.

International Solidarity Foundation (ISF), A Finnish NGO battling female genital mutilation in East Africa, was facing funding loss. Our task was to raise awareness for this sensitive issue while working within a limited budget, with the aim of attracting more attention and donors to this pressing issue. The campaign was to challenge prevailing, often racialized gender representations and reshape the narrative around female genital mutilation.

Instead of portraying it as a localized issue limited to specific African cultures, we repositioned it as a global concern that called for immediate intervention by international institutions. ISF is a brand committed to shedding light on the worldwide prevalence of this issue. Thus, our approach claiming international recognition seamlessly aligned with their core values.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has, in part, been regarded as an age-old tradition deeply entrenched in the lives of developing countries' women. It has, consequently, not received coverage in the local media. Our campaign was heavily focused on the target countries', especially Kenya's major newspapers, with the aim of completely redefining FGM as a grave violation of human rights that demands immediate attention from international organizations. Furthermore, while in Finland FGM is punishable by law, the applicability of the existing legislation to all forms of mutilation is unclear. In February 2023, the Ministry of Justice released a report from a working group that made no recommendations for altering existing legislation, indicating that it didn't consider the issue relevant enough in a local perspective.

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.

In our efforts to address the issue, we first mapped the client's field and sought guidance from a DEI agency to understand potential pitfalls. We analyzed previous campaigns by both ISF and its competitors, which led us to a crucial realization: to avoid perpetuating racialization, victimization, and othering, we needed to approach the conversation from a new, even seemingly unconventional perspective. This required a fresh strategy focused on reframing the issue as a shared responsibility of all humanity, aligning with UNESCO's core mission.

UNESCO, as the world's primary guardian of human cultural and natural heritage, offered a unique platform. We carefully examined the World Heritage Site criteria and identified opportunities to address the issue within the context of global well-being and cultural traditions.

To maximize our impact, we meticulously prepared a flawless paper application, submitted it to UNESCO representatives and decision-makers in Finland, simultaneously garnering attention at UNESCO's Paris headquarters.

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 news media, and the national public broadcasting company. It gathered 47 media hits globally with a reach of 31.3 million, and mentions increased by +420 % in social media. The Chair of the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO emphasized the plea’s importance in prompting government officials to promote women's rights and discuss the extent to which World Heritage Sites represent individual state or regional identities.

For the ISF the campaign broke records with +58 % in online donations, +123 % in mobile donations, and most importantly +500 % in new monthly donors – securing their work for years to come.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. Regarding the shift in gender representation, the two leading Kenyan newspapers, along with the second-largest TV channel, featured the story and stated FGM to be a global human rights violation requiring urgent action.