Film Background

Giselle Portenier has wanted to make a film about female genital mutilation and child marriage for a long time, and In The Name Of Your Daughter is that film.

When she heard about a Safe House in the Mara Hills of Northern Tanzania that welcomed young girls running away from harm, she knew she found her story.

These young runaways are standing up for their human rights, they are saying mutilation and child marriage are wrong, and they have found the courage to defy their destiny.

Their voices have never been heard, until now.

In The Name Of Your Daughter will bring you their stories, loud and clear.

Late last year, the filmmakers started an online fundraising campaign which raised more than $95,000 for the principal filming which took place in December and January.

Now the film is in the early stages of editing, and the filmmakers are looking to raise the money to complete the film.

In the Name of Your Daughter will bring you their voices, loud and clear.

In The Name Of Your Daughter is a film about courage, it’s a film about hope, and it’s a film about the inalienable human rights of young and teenage girls.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Background

Every 11 seconds a girl somewhere in the world is being mutilated.

The latest estimates are that over 200 million women living today, have gone through some form of mutilation.

It’s a cultural tradition practiced across large parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and beyond.  New groups of people who practice it are being discovered on a regular basis—India, Colombia, and the Republic of Dagestan in Russa most recently.

There are different forms, ranging from cutting the tip of the clitoris, to removing all the external genitalia and leaving only a small opening for urination and menstruation.  FGM/FGC has no benefits, and does only harm.  Complications include death, infection, obstetric problems, difficulty urinating, and pain during sexual intercourse.

There are many complex reasons mutilation is practiced but it is essentially for social acceptance; in many societies it is required as a rite of passage to adulthood, as a form of sexual control, or because prospective husbands demand it.

There are numerous local and international organizations combatting mutilation, and FGM/FGC is becoming increasingly illegal in many affected countries, but enforcement of the legislation is inconsistent and centuries old traditions are difficult to change.