FORWARD 2006-07 Annual Report and Message from the Chair and Executive Director

December 17th 2007

As the end of the year approaches, we are pleased to share our achievements over the past 12 months with you in our 2006/07 Annual Report. This has been a period of great transition for FORWARD. We started to implement our new strategic plan, took on new staff and elected ten new members to our Board of Trustees. This has been an extremely positive step for FORWARD and we have continued to attract many more friends and supporters like you. Your valuable support has made a significant difference to our work and has enabled us to advance health, protect rights and promote dignity of African women and girls in the UK and Africa.

As the new Chair of the Board of Trustees and the new Executive Director, we bring FORWARD new dynamism and energy to achieve the new vision and the priorities set out in our 2007/2011 Strategic and Business Plans 2007/2011.

Our aim for next year is to focus on community empowerment in the UK. We will ensure that we scale up our work with young people, strengthen strategic partnerships with community and faith based organisations and enable communities to become advocates for make FGM history in the UK. Our recent study of FGM Prevalence revealed that there are some 66,000 women in England and Wales affected by FGM and over 20,000 girls under 15 years of age at risk or who have had FGM. In Africa, we aim to spearhead a region wide campaign to end child marriage and respond to the health and wider rights concerns of affected and at risk women and girls. We hope to share progress on this work with you next year.

We welcome and appreciate your continued support in helping us make our vision a reality. Our Christmas wish is for the global elimination of FGM and child marriage. There are many ways in which you can become part of this reality. You could continue making regular donations to FORWARD’s general work; take part in events in your local area, volunteer your skills or directly support one of our projects.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and Staff of FORWARD, we wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to wish you all a joyful and peaceful festive season.

Best Wishes

Margaret Nyuydzewira and Naana Otoo-Oyortey