Combating Female Genital Mutilation

As the African Union's first woman ambassador, Ambassador Ali is committed to promoting women's and children's rights. Her first introduction to FGM was as a member of parliament in Tanzania when a local organization presented a heart-wrenching video of FGM. The dismissive reaction of the other members of Parliament to the mutilations shocked Ambassador Ali and she challenged them, saying "this could be your daughter or my daughter." Since then, she has vowed to work for an end to this practice through laws and education. In this interview, Ali describes what the African Union has done to combat FGM, what is needed to eliminate the practice beyond legal instruments, the social context of the practice, and how she feels about the future for Africa's women.