Not in My Name campaign: how boys and young men help end FGM, forced marriage and Dishonour Abuse
The Not in My Name campaign exists because these abuses do not end through law alone. They end when young people understand what is happening, reject it openly, and know how to get help safely.
Freedom Charity has spent years doing exactly that in schools. We teach boys and girls together. We speak plainly about FGM, forced marriage and Dishonour Abuse. We also give young people a safe route to support.
Crucially, we refuse the tired framing that boys sit outside this work. In reality, abuse is often justified “for men”, “because men expect it”, or “in a boy’s name”. The Not in My Name campaign dismantles that lie. It replaces it with a refusal that young men can own without hesitation:
Not in my name. Not in my community. Not on my watch.
Key takeaways
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The Not in My Name campaign equips boys and young men to reject abuse that is often justified in their name.
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Freedom Charity reports teaching over 100,000 children face to face and donating over 100,000 copies of But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers to date.
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Schools need safe, quality-assured resources. That is why PSHE-aligned delivery matters.
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When boys learn the truth, they often choose responsibility, not silence.
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A serious national strategy must educate boys. Otherwise, prevention stays unfinished.
What the Not in My Name campaign is
The Not in My Name campaign speaks directly to boys and young men about FGM, forced marriage and Dishonour Abuse, and it asks them to take a public position.
Freedom does not shame boys. Instead, we treat them as moral decision-makers. That approach matters because boys influence one another every day. They shape peer norms. They also set the tone in friendship groups. As a result, a boy who refuses abuse can change what others feel able to say and do.
When a boy says, “Not in my name”, he rejects the claim that abuse proves masculinity, status, or loyalty. At the same time, he sends girls a powerful signal: I will not excuse harm, and I will not blame you.
Why boys and young men matter in ending FGM and forced marriage
FGM is a human rights abuse. It has no health benefits. It can cause lifelong harm. Globally, more than 230 million girls and women are estimated to be living with the consequences.
In the UK, the CPS treats FGM as a serious criminal offence. When it affects children, professionals treat it as child abuse. Forced marriage is also a criminal offence. So the legal position is clear.
However, law does not reach a child first. People do. That is why prevention lives in schools, youth spaces, and peer culture.
Here is the core logic:
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When boys learn the truth about FGM, they stop normalising it.
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When boys reject the “men demand it” narrative, families lose a key excuse.
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When boys refuse to participate in forced marriage, the pipeline weakens fast.
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When boys become ambassadors, they spread prevention beyond a single lesson.
Therefore, any strategy that leaves boys out leaves harm intact.
Freedom Charity’s national delivery to date
Freedom Charity did not start this work recently. We built it over the years, in schools, face to face.
To date, Freedom Charity reports:
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teaching over 100,000 children face-to-face in schools
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donating over 100,000 copies of But It’s Not Fair and Cut Flowers into schools and safeguarding settings
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visiting more than 160 schools through lessons, workshops and whole-school assemblies
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building practical routes to help, including a helpline, text service and app
Those books did not sit in a warehouse. Schools used them. Teachers shared them. Young people read them privately. Importantly, a book often gives a child the language they need before they are ready to speak.
Freedom’s PSHE delivery is not improvised either. Schools can access Freedom’s PSHE educational resources here: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/pshe-educational-resources/
The PSHE Association also hosts a Freedom Charity lesson pack for forced marriage and FGM: https://pshe-association.org.uk/lesson-plans/freedom-charity-forced-marriage-fgm
Because of that, schools can teach this content safely and consistently.
What boys say when they are taught properly
When boys hear the facts without euphemism, many respond with moral clarity. They do not want girls harmed. They do not wish to abuse, justified “for them”. They also do not want adults to hide behind the idea that “men expect it”.
Below are anonymised examples of what boys have said to Freedom Charity after sessions on FGM and forced marriage. We reproduce them with permission and in line with safeguarding standards.
“I never want a girl to be hurt, or cut, because people say men demand it. I am still a boy, but Freedom has taught me it starts with me. Young men and boys need to shout it: not in my name.”
“I do not want girls to go through this. I do not want to feel blamed for it either. I will speak out, because it is wrong.”
“Forced marriage is when someone is pushed into a marriage against their will. If boys and men said no, this is not right, it would stop. Do not force a girl to marry in my name.”
“As a 16 year old boy, I am saying it clearly: this needs to stop. Not in my name.”
These voices matter because they show what prevention looks like when we treat boys as capable of responsibility.
Why refusal changes outcomes quickly
Forced marriage and FGM rely on social permission. Silence creates that permission. Fear sustains it. “This is what men want” keeps it alive.
The Not in My Name campaign breaks that cycle.
When boys refuse to collude, families lose a key justification. When boys refuse to participate, coercion loses momentum. When boys speak publicly, the “everyone agrees” story collapses.
In practice, that shift helps girls too. A girl is far more likely to seek help when she believes her peers will support her rather than shame her.
So refusal is not a slogan. It is protection.
A public example of boys taking the message seriously
Freedom’s work with boys is not limited to assemblies. It also builds public leadership.
The Old Bailey hosted the launch of the third edition of But It’s Not Fair, supported by Sheriff Andrew Marsden. That event focused on forced marriage, its impact, and the role boys and men must play alongside girls and women to end these abuses.
You can read more here: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/but-its-not-fair-3rd-edition/
What schools, professionals and government should do next
If you lead in safeguarding, education, policing, health, youth services, or policy, you can take practical steps now.
1) Put the Not in My Name campaign into schools at scale
Book assemblies and workshops that reach whole year groups, not just pupils already identified as “at risk”. Prevention works best when it reaches the mainstream.
Book a visit: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/book-a-visit/
2) Use PSHE-aligned resources so teaching stays safe
Sensitive topics demand careful delivery. Therefore, schools should use structured resources and clear safeguarding routes.
PSHE resources: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/pshe-educational-resources/
PSHE Association lesson pack: https://pshe-association.org.uk/lesson-plans/freedom-charity-forced-marriage-fgm
3) Make help-seeking simple, private, and visible
Children often cannot phone safely at home. As a result, they need discreet options.
Helpline: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/helpline/
Contact and text service: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/contact-us/
4) Fund what already delivers prevention at the national level
Prevention funding should follow proven delivery. Freedom has already built reach, resources, and routes to safety. We should build on that infrastructure, not duplicate it.
5) Stop treating boys as suspects or spectators
We can do better than two extremes. Instead, we can educate boys, challenge harmful norms, and support young men to become visible allies who refuse abuse publicly.
Any strategy that does not explicitly educate boys is incomplete.
Book a visit, access resources, or get help
To bring the Not in My Name campaign into your school:
https://freedomcharity.org.uk/book-a-visit/
To access PSHE educational resources:
https://freedomcharity.org.uk/pshe-educational-resources/
If you need help or worry about someone at risk, contact Freedom Charity:
Helpline and support routes: https://freedomcharity.org.uk/contact-us/
Forced Marriage Unit statistics 2024:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/forced-marriage-unit-statistics-2024/forced-marriage-unit-statistics-2024
CPS guidance on FGM:
https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/female-genital-mutilation
WHO fact sheet on FGM:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation
Minimum age for marriage implementation (England and Wales):
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/implementation-of-the-marriage-and-civil-partnership-minimum-age-act-2022
Legislation on the forced marriage offence:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/12/section/121