Shudufhadzo Musida Speaks Out Against FGM in Tanzania

Former Miss South Africa and UNFPA Global Champion for Women and Girls Shudufhadzo Musida has travelled to Tanzania to learn more about female genital mutilation (FGM) and its impact on women and girls in the Kuria community.

Musida worked alongside the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during her visit to the Mara Region, where she met with members of the community and gained a closer understanding of the challenges women and girls face because of the harmful practice.

The former beauty queen documented her experience on Instagram, sharing images and videos from her time in Tanzania. She also opened up about the people she met and the stories she heard while learning more about the fight against FGM.

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A post shared by Shudu Musiḓa (@shudufhadzomusida)

In her caption, Musida wrote, “l’m back in the East Africa region with @unfpaesaro, this time on the ground in the Mara Region, Tanzania , walking alongside the Kuria community as they confront female genital mutilation head-on.

We are not free until every woman and girl is free. Free to have bodily autonomy. Free to choose the life she wants for herself. Free to access education, opportunity, and a future that is not determined by harmful practices.

This week, I met police officers, health workers, community leaders, and women who have paid a heavy price for saying no to FGM. Their courage is why change is possible.

FGM is sustained by deeply rooted social norms and economic pressures, but it is not culture. It is harm, and it can end.

Alongside @unfpa and local partners working every day to protect girls, support survivors, and build a future where every woman and girl can live freely and fully.”

Musida also shared a video from her visit, where she reflected on the hope she found while speaking to people working to protect women and girls.

In the video, she said, “Despite, this I’ve met people here who shown me that when you stand up for women and girls, there can be hope, there can be progress, and we can abandon this harmful culture against women and girls because violence against women and girls is not culture.”

Through her visit, Musida continues to use her platform to raise awareness about issues affecting women and girls. Her time in Tanzania highlighted the importance of education, community action and support for survivors in the ongoing efforts to end FGM.

Her message remains clear: women and girls deserve the freedom to make choices about their own bodies and their futures without being subjected to harmful practices.