Ethiopia’s Bogaletch Gebre wins King Baudouin Prize

Ethiopian activist Bogaletch Gebre has won an international prize for her campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM).

Ms Gebre was awarded the King Baudouin Prize in Belgium for confronting “culturally entrenched taboo subjects”, the selection committee said.

She helped reduce cases of FGM from 100% of newborn girls to less than 3% in parts of Ethiopia, it said.

FGM is practised mainly in communities in Africa and the Middle East.

Also known as female circumcision, it is seen as a traditional rite of passage and is used culturally to ensure virginity and to make a woman marriageable.

It typically involves removing the clitoris, and can lead to bleeding, infections and childbirth problems. Read more