ABSTRACT
This study examines the experiences of grassroots activists who are campaigning to end FGM. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from the diaspora community in the United Kingdom. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis the researchers constructed five themes: ‘The path to activism’, ‘conflict and struggle’, ‘engagement with the community’, ‘doors opening and closing’, and ‘navigating between two worlds’. These results indicate that the participants’ position within the diaspora community is an advantage for education and engagement purposes but there is a personal toll on their personal lives due to the cultural prominence of their work. This study also highlights that some of the participants do not feel that their activism work is always recognised or valued by Western anti-FGM campaigns. Our research has implications for future support options for activists on the frontline of the anti-FGM movement.