Key professionals such as doctors, social workers, social service employees, dealing with domestic violence and child abuse, medical staff or teachers also play a vital role in preventing FGM and are an important target group supporting behaviour change in practising communities.

For that reason FSAN, FORWARD, RISK and Plan together with TDF will organise a one-day training session for the key professionals, with at least 10 participants in each country. FSAN will address social workers dealing with domestic violence and child abuse, FORWARD will address social service employees, RISK medical staff and Plan will address teachers.

After the training the key professionals will meet with the Change Agents, to foster networks and encourage cultural sensitisation. After the exchange meeting the possibility to maintain a dialogue between the two groups will be put in place. The aim is to establish a sustainable relationship between the two groups to support each other in promoting behaviour change in practising communities.

Including the evaluation results, the project partners develop a brochure for key professionals on how to respond to FGM. The brochure will provide information about FGM such as forms, prevalence, health consequences, the legal situation and methods to identify girls at risk as well as strategies for protecting them.