Center for Law in Science and Global Health

Upcoming Event

April 20 - Health and Human Rights in Action
115 William H. Gates Hall,

4:00-6:00pm: Reception, followed by Presentation at 4:30pm
All are welcome. No RSVP needed.

“Unlocking the Power of Social Norms for Large Scale Impact: Abandoning Female Genital Cutting in West Africa”

Speaker: Molly Melching, Director and Founder of the African-Based NGO Tostan

Molly Melching will speak about the organization’s experiences in East and West African communities over the last 20 years, including: How do change agents succeed in making important cultural shifts for positive impact when deeply entrenched social norms seem destined to keep the status quo locked in? She will share her experience with human rights education and discuss the insights we can gain from the growing movement to abandon female genital cutting in Africa.

Having lived and worked in Senegal since 1974, Molly Melching received international recognition for her groundbreaking educational programs that have led communities to affect life transforming changes including the abandonment of female genital cutting and child/forced marriage. More than 4,500 communities in Senegal, Guinea, The Gambia, Somalia and Burkina Faso have made public declarations for abandonment of harmful traditional practices following a human rights-based education program implemented by Tostan, the NGO founded by Molly in 1991. Other breakthroughs include: reduction in infant and maternal mortality, wide-spread school and birth registration, and the emergence of female leadership.

Molly received the Humanitarian Alumni Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1999, the Sargent Shriver Distinguished Award for Humanitarian Service in 2002, and. Sweden's Anna Lindh Award for Tostan's work in human rights in 2005. In 2007 Tostan won the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the largest and most prestigious in the humanitarian field. Tostan was also Featured in Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and won the Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2010.

Tostan's mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights.

Tostan means "breakthrough" in the West African language of Wolof. Since 1991, Tostan has brought its holistic 30-month education program to thousands of communities in ten African countries: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan.

Hosted by the Global Health and Justice (GHJ) Project, the Center for Law in Science and Global Health, and the Gates Public Service Law Program.

Co-sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and the Department of Global Health

Global Health and Justice Project

The Global Health and Justice (GHJ) Project, based at the School of Law, is a multidisciplinary project that promotes academics, research and service learning in global health, social justice and development. Local and field opportunities in developing countries are available for faculty and students in collaboration with the Seattle-based NGO, Uplift International.

The Project was initiated in 2001 as faculty began to develop the Health and Human Rights course. It responds to a growing interest among students and faculty to participate in educational activities and research in global health issues from a human rights perspective. At the same time, there has been an increasing demand for practical experience in this evolving field.

We have active collaborations with many schools at the University of Washington, including the Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Community Medicine, the Jackson School of International Studies and the Evans School of Public Affairs. We also collaborate with foreign health and law NGOs, universities and governmental agencies in developing countries. The Global Health and Justice Project is currently engaged in activities that build capacity in health and human rights for professional communities and partner institutions. Under the directorship of Research Associate Professor Beth Rivin, the project provides faculty consultation in health law, policy and regulation, as well as curriculum development in bioethics, human rights and health.

Educational and Research Opportunities to UW Students

The Global Health and Justice Project has a track record of providing students with opportunities to participate in U.S.–based programs and field activities in Asia. Research and service-learning opportunities are available in collaboration with the Seattle-based NGO, Uplift International.

In 2003, students and UW faculty participated in the first National Conference on Health and Human Rights in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since 2003, the Global Health and Justice Project has provided mentored internships for UW students. They have participated in a wide range activities focused on health and human rights and health advocacy in the U.S. and Indonesia.