The Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development (GECPD), founded in 1999 by Hawa Aden Mohamed, began with the simple yet profound mission of providing education opportunities for women and girls in Somalia. The center offers a wide range of programs, including girls' education, adult literacy, skills development for employment, human rights advocacy, and youth organizing, while fostering women’s leadership in peacebuilding and emergency relief efforts.

A critical part of GECPD’s mission is addressing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which remains alarmingly prevalent in Somalia, with a rate of 98%. GECPD integrates FGM awareness into all its programs, advocating for the abandonment of this harmful practice. Through education and community outreach, they aim to shift cultural norms around FGM, hoping to protect future generations of Somali girls from its dangers.

When GECPD first launched, Hawa and her team faced hostility for challenging entrenched traditions like FGM and early marriage. Their early efforts were met with resistance, including threats and violence from those who saw the center’s mission as a threat to patriarchal structures. Despite this, GECPD has persevered and gained the respect of the communities they serve. As Hawa notes, “If you are illiterate, you can’t question. In Somalia, there are still places where they haven’t heard that FGM is not right. It will take time. But one day, there will be no FGM.”

Support GECPD’s vital work as they continue to pave the way for gender equality in Somalia and fight for a future without FGM.