‘In the Name of Your Daughter’ continues to make a lasting impact in the global mission against female genital mutilation. Directed by Canadian Giselle Portenier, the documentary is centred around Rhobi Samwelly’s active fight against FGM in rural Tanzania. Since its premiere at the Copenhagen Film Festival, the movie has gone on to garner rave reviews from critics and high ranking officials alike. Canadian Senator Jim Munson praised the documentary for its sensitive portrayal adding that “this may be a difficult subject for some, but this an issue that must be addressed over and over again. FGM is happening in Tanzania, it is happening around the world and it is happening in Canada”.
Last week saw “In the Name of Your Daughter” screened in front of potentially it’s most important critics yet. With the help of the Canadian government and UNFPA Tanzania, the documentary has been showing in front of hundreds of students in rural Tanzania. To date, there has been a screening at Magereza Primary school and Matongo Primary school in the Butiama District, with plans for screenings in other schools around the region. It is hoped these screenings will not only inform at-risk girls of the options available to them but also illuminate young boys perspective on women. As “In the Name of Your Daughter” so beautifully portrays, to truly end FGM there has to be a concerted effort from a multitude of actors representing both genders, at both the community and international level.
