ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does it actually take to stop FGM before it happens?
In this episode of Changing Narratives, host Patricia Mars sits down with Domtila Chesang, grassroots advocate, co-founder of AWRA and founder of I_Rep Foundation, whose work is rooted in protecting girls at the very moment they are at risk.
From coordinating rescues in remote communities to challenging the systems that allow FGM/C and child marriage to persist, Domtila shares what this work looks like in real time — the urgency, the risks and the decisions that can change the course of a girl's life.
This conversation goes beyond awareness. It examines the tension between intervention and community trust, the structural realities that drive harmful practices, and the responsibility of global actors to support not override grassroots leadership.
We also explore her documentary Mtetezi, and how storytelling can bring us closer to the lived realities that reports alone cannot capture.
This is not a distant issue. It's happening and people like Domtila are on the frontlines, making impossible decisions every day.
Domtila's research: Exploring the persistence of FGM in West Pokot County, Kenya
