I am whole

I AM WHOLE

When we proclaim “I am Whole,” we testify to the truth that each woman, at every age and strata of life, is a singularly unique and valued individual, innately deserving of a full and productive life that offers her opportunities to be educated, healthy, and socio-economically independent. A woman cannot truly be whole if she is dismissed to a lower stratum of society, without access to an education, financially dependent on a father or husband, and otherwise treated as an object. The origin of this phrase is in our celebrations of brave girls who refused to be subjected to female genital mutilation. These young women reject customary practices that violate their human rights out of a commitment to their dignity and freedom. We pay tribute to their courage with the gift of a silver pendant inscribed with the phrase, 

“Wimetta” – “I am Whole.”

Community Voices