Welcome to FORWARD

FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development) is an African Diaspora women led UK-registered campaign and support charity dedicated to advancing and safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African girls and women. We work in UK, Europe and Africa to help change practices and policies that affect access, dignity and wellbeing. We tackle female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage and related rights of girls and young women.

FORWARD celebrates in 2010 its 25th anniversary with renewed passion to consolidate our gains and remain cutting edge in this sector. Over the past 25 years we have gained credibility and recognition in the sector and strategically worked at policy and community level to safeguard health and rights of African women and girls. Our innovative youth and community leadership programmes to tackle FGM have received wide recognition. FORWARD was one of the finalists in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations 2010 Award for our partnership work with the Bristol Primary Care Trust.

FGM UNICEF Innocenti video clip – featuring FORWARD

Watch survivors of FGM and activists share their insights and personal stories from Africa and Europe, including FORWARD’s Community Programme Coordinator and FORWARD’s youth partners and co founders of “Daughters of Eve” . FORWARD facilitated the UK filming of this video as part of our supporting Diaspora African women’s voices programme.