{"id":8200,"date":"2026-02-09T16:36:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T12:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8200"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:04:10","slug":"message-from-ceo-of-merck-foundation-dr-rasha-kelej-on-marking-international-day-of-zero-tolerance-for-female-genital-mutilation-2026-through-more-than-a-mother-an","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8200","title":{"rendered":"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation Dr. Rasha Kelej on marking \u2018International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026\u2019 through \u2018More Than a Mother\u2019 and \u2018Educating Linda\u2019 Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Main_Dr-Rasha-Kelej-with-Fashion-Designers-displaying-designs-on-STOP-FGM2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em><strong>CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) with Fashion Designers displaying designs on STOP FGM.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p>I am happy to mark the<strong>&nbsp;International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026,<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;together with &nbsp;my dear sisters the First Ladies of Africa through our \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>and<strong>&nbsp;\u201cEducating Linda\u201d programs.<\/strong><\/p><p>FGM is a harmful practice that violates the rights and dignity of millions of girls and women across Africa and beyond. It has no health benefits, only harms. Together with my dear sisters,&nbsp;<strong>the African Ladies<\/strong>, we are committed to breaking the silence, raising awareness, and empowering communities to stand against this deeply rooted tradition. Together, we can create a future where every girl has the freedom to live a healthy, empowered, and dignified life.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Merck-Foundation-International-Day-of-Zero-Tolerance-for-FGM-2026-2_-1.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>Through a specially dedicated episode of our very popular&nbsp;<strong>\u201cOur Africa\u201d TV program<\/strong>, we have communicated in detail the harms of FGM and appealed to African communities to stop this harmful practice.&nbsp;<strong>\u201cOur Africa by Merck Foundation\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;is a&nbsp;<strong>pan African TV<\/strong>&nbsp;program&nbsp;<strong>conceptualized, produced, directed, and co-hosted by me.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>I invite you all to watch the special episode on FGM here:<\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"&#039;Our Africa by Merck Foundation&#039; TV Program, Ep.6: Stop FGM\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7GtXkBYv_94?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>Moreover, together with African First Ladies, we annually launch our&nbsp;<strong>More Than a Mother Awards&nbsp;<\/strong>to recognize the&nbsp;<strong>best media work, films, songs, and fashion designs that raise awareness on ending FGM<\/strong>, supporting girls&#8217; education, and addressing other sensitive social issues.&nbsp;<em>I encourage the journalists, filmmakers, fashion designers, singers and young talets in these fields to apply for our awards. You may share your work with us&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/merck-foundation.com\/Awards-Online-Application-Form\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p><p>As per&nbsp;<strong>WHO<\/strong>, around the world, over&nbsp;<strong>2<\/strong><strong>30 million<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>girls and women have undergone FGM. Africa accounts for the largest share of this total, with over&nbsp;<strong>144 million<\/strong>. This accounts to more than 60% of the total cases.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/English-22.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><p>I firmly believe that education is one of the most essential pillars of women\u2019s empowerment and plays a vital role in eliminating harmful practices like FGM, which serve no benefit to anyone. Therefore, through our&nbsp;<strong>\u201cEducating Linda\u201d,<\/strong>&nbsp;in partnership with&nbsp;<strong>First Ladies of Africa,&nbsp;<\/strong>we have provided year to date more than 1200 annual scholarships to high-performing and underprivileged African schoolgirls from 19 countries, enabling them to complete their studies and reach their potential. Through these scholarships we have supported the education of girls from several African countries including&nbsp;<strong>Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.<\/strong><\/p><p>Moreover, we have has benefitted thousands of girls by distributing essential school items, and through their awareness campaign which includes releasing many inspiring children\u2019s storybooks, animation films and songs to support girl education. &nbsp;<\/p><p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p><p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) with Fashion Designers displaying designs on STOP FGM. I am happy to mark the&nbsp;International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026,&nbsp;together with &nbsp;my dear sisters the First Ladies of Africa through our \u201cMore Than a Mother\u201d&nbsp;and&nbsp;\u201cEducating Linda\u201d programs. FGM is a harmful practice that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-message"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Message from CEO of Merck Foundation Dr. Rasha Kelej on marking \u2018International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026\u2019 through \u2018More Than a Mother\u2019 and \u2018Educating Linda\u2019 Programs | Rasha Kelej<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rasha-kelej.com\/?p=8200\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Message from CEO of Merck Foundation Dr. Rasha Kelej on marking \u2018International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026\u2019 through \u2018More Than a Mother\u2019 and \u2018Educating Linda\u2019 Programs | Rasha Kelej\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CEO of Merck Foundation, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej (Ret.) with Fashion Designers displaying designs on STOP FGM. 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