Every girl deservesto grow up whole.
Bilis Initiative works with Somali communities to end Female Genital Mutilation through education, empowerment, and lasting cultural change.
Change grows from within a community.
Bilis Initiative is a community-driven organisation dedicated to ending FGM and advancing the rights, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls in Somali communities.
We listen first, centre survivor voices, and build the trust required for change that lasts across generations.
Read our story →
Survivor-centred
Lived experience guides every programme and decision.
Community-led
We work through local language, relationships, and trust.
Focused on lasting change
We address the beliefs and systems behind harmful practices.
Safe for every girl
We strengthen the support around girls at home and in school.
This work cannot wait.
FGM remains a global crisis, but every number represents a girl whose safety, health, and future can still be protected.
Girls and women living with FGM
Across more than 30 countries
Girls at risk every year
Most are under the age of 15
Prevalence in Somali Regional State
Among the highest rates globally
Acceptable cases
No benefit. No justification.
Our programmes
EducationEquipping adolescent girls with life skills, knowledge of their rights, and the confidence to speak up — in school, at home, and in their communities.
Learn more →
EngagementBringing together families, religious leaders, and men to open honest conversations about FGM — and to build shared commitments to end it.
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AdvocacyPushing for the enforcement of laws and policies against FGM, and amplifying survivor voices at local, national, and international levels.
Learn more →Stories of change
Bilis Initiative at the UN General Assembly
Bringing survivor-led solutions and community perspectives into global conversations on ending FGM.
A new training centre for girls in Goday
A dedicated space for life-skills training, peer support, and pathways to opportunity.
Voices of courage: our impact in 2025
Community dialogue and youth leadership are helping new villages build safer futures for girls.
Change takes all of us.
Give, volunteer, share, or partner with us. Choose the role that is right for you.
Share our mission
Help more people understand why community-led action to end FGM matters.
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Contribute your time and experience to programmes, communications, or operations.
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Receive occasional updates about our work, impact, and community priorities.
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Work with us on programmes that protect girls and strengthen local leadership.
Start a conversation →Your support protects futures.
Every gift helps fund programmes that protect girls, strengthen community leadership, and drive lasting change.
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