Julia Lalla-Maharajh OBE, CEO and founder of Orchid Project, a charity working to end female genital cutting (FGC), recently visited the Canadian capital Ottawa with British-Somali activist Hibo Wardere to press for Canadian investment in ending FGC.

In the world of social change, there are always new opportunities. The taboo nature of FGC means that it’s not often on people’s radars – even those who have been working in development or overseas for years. So, if a new global player appears on the scene, it makes sense to follow through swiftly on every opportunity, as soon as it arises.

This was a case in point the day that Canada elected Justin Trudeau and his new party. Soon after, at the Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York, Canadian Ministers Marie-Claude Bibeau and Patricia Hajdu were part of many discussions on sexual and reproductive health and rights and women’s rights. Their triumphant message throughout the event was #CanadaisBack. And truly, they were.

To everyone’s delight, the Prime Minister also appeared at CSW and addressed a packed General Assembly Hall. Trudeau emphasised the importance of achieving gender equality in Canada. Orchid Project felt that Trudeau, as a stated feminist running a feminist government, was a world leader who could be convinced of the need to support an end to FGC.

Soon after, the opportunity arose to hear the PM speak at an event in Toronto and I was able to make the trip. I was able to tell Justin Trudeau of the hope and opportunity associated with an end to FGC. He was rather taken aback to be part of such a discussion but took it in his stride. Of course, the ubiquitous selfie followed. The trip also meant that I was able to reach out to various civil servants and others.

At the end of September, I was able to return to Canada, with Hibo Wardere, an incredible British Somali activist.

The reason for asking Hibo to accompany me was that I was shocked by the silence in Canada. When we look at the rise of awareness in both the UK and now the USA, it seemed that Canada would have also started acknowledging this agenda.

Hibo underwent FGC as a young girl in Somalia. As a teenager she sought asylum in the UK. Through fear of being ostracised from speaking out, she remained silent until twenty years later when as a teaching assistant she came face to face with a child who was at risk of undergoing the practice.

Realising the risks of FGC happening within a UK context pushed her into action, she felt it was time to share her own experience in order to help raise awareness. She began speaking about what had happened to her in schools across London, educating youth to be aware about FGC within their communities. She also wrote her incredible book: ‘Cut: One Woman’s Fight against FGM in Britain Today’.