The Five Foundation

The Five Foundation is a UK-based nonprofit organisation dedicated to the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide. Founded in 2019 by survivor activist Nimco Ali OBE and communications strategist Brendan Wynne, the foundation operates as a private company limited by guarantee and a registered charity (charity number 1195574). It focuses on systemic advocacy and partnership building to combat this practice and support African women's rights organizations.

History and Founding
The Five Foundation was established in June 2019 with the goal of prioritizing the urgent issue of FGM, which affects over 230 million women and girls globally. The organisation was initially launched in New York in September 2019 as The Global Partnership to End FGM before adopting its current name. Its founders brought a combination of survivor-led activism and strategic communications to lead efforts against FGM internationally.

Mission and Activities
The primary mission of The Five Foundation is to eradicate female genital mutilation by advocating for increased funding, stronger legal frameworks, and grassroots empowerment. The organisation works at a systemic level to advocate for better funding streams to women’s rights organisations on the African continent and beyond, emphasizing economic justice and sustainability for African women to lift themselves and their communities out of poverty.

Key activities include:

• Lobbying for the inclusion of FGM protections in legislation, such as the UK Children’s Act.
• Campaigning against the medicalisation of FGM, which refers to the practice being performed by healthcare professionals.
• Raising awareness about the increased risks of FGM during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Influencing international policy, notably contributing to Sudan’s ban on FGM in 2020 and playing a role in the passage of the U.S. Stop FGM Act in 2021.
• Building a global partnership network with over 100 partners including Action Aid, Plan International, The ONE Campaign, Save The Children (UK), UN Women (UK), Women for Women International, and Global Fund For Women.

Approach
The Five Foundation distinguishes itself by focusing on systemic change rather than traditional "aid architecture" approaches. It aims to empower and support the leadership of grassroots African women’s organisations and movements that drive structural change to end FGM and other forms of violence against women and girls.

Legal and Financial Status
The Five Foundation operates as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, registered in England and Wales (Company number 12043832). It is also a registered charity (number 1195574), with its financial activities primarily focused on advocacy campaigns and partnerships to combat FGM globally.

References
Not applicable in this format.

*Categories:

• Female genital mutilation
• Women’s rights organizations
• Charities based in the United Kingdom*

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Foundation [2] https://thefivefoundation.org [3] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1195574&subid=0 [4] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5173037/contact-information [5] https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12043832