ABOUT US

Our history

Our history

Our charity was originally called Oxford Against Cutting (OAC). OAC has its roots in human rights campaigning and grew from an FGM awareness-raising film event in October 2014. At the time, the inspiring activism of young women from affected communities, who had grown up in the UK, was headline news. OAC founders and long-term campaigners for women’s rights, Kate Agha and Kate Clayton-Hathway, recognised the growing energy to end FGM and the need for education and community representatives to tackle the practice. With a plan for a simple discussion evening and some short informational films, ‘the Kates’ were blown away by the turnout in a community venue that ended up with ‘standing room only’. There was a passionate response and a coming-together of local health practitioners, including  Dr Brenda Kelly, victim-survivors and campaigners, driven by the largely unmet needs of locally-based women from affected communities.

OAC’s initial projects included an educational booklet designed by secondary school students and an evaluation of health services for FGM-affected groups. These established our mission very early on, to work closely ‘with and for’ women from affected communities and educate young people. Both are at the heart of our charity’s work creating a diverse and successful team. In 2015 we obtained charitable status, with the name Oxford Against Cutting chosen to emphasise a local focus, with deliberate use of the word ‘cutting’ to show the determination of campaigners to challenge ‘taboo’ subjects.

The determination to be bold, and to empower women and girls to create change has driven us to evolve as an educational charity, covering a wide range of topics to understand harmful practices and their social contexts. We have embraced and developed education, awareness-raising and community work that does not shy away from difficult topics such as ‘honour’-based abuse, forced marriage, pornography, and body image. As our work has moved beyond FGM as a topic, we have also outgrown our original geographic area of Oxford(shire), through successful collaborations across the Thames Valley, and more recently into other areas, such as Birmingham and Croydon. We are now excited to move to the next phase in our evolution, with a new name to match our long-term vision.

Kate and Kate, Co-Founders

Our name

As the Sundial Centre for Education on Harmful Practices, our new name is more than just a title – it is a symbol of our mission, values, and the impact we strive to achieve. Sundials originated in ancient Egyptian astronomy, using the sun’s position in the sky to tell the time of day and provide guidance, awareness, and education. These three principles are similarly key tenets of our work, aiming to provide young people and professionals with the tools to address harmful practices. The connection between the sundial and Egypt is deeply significant to us, as one of the key practices we are committed to ending – female genital mutilation (FGM) – similarly is believed to originate in ancient Egypt with the Pharaonic cut. By choosing the name Sundial, we simultaneously acknowledge the history of these practices while symbolising our continuing determination to bring them to an end.

Sundials guide people by casting light and creating greater awareness, much like how our charity seeks to illuminate ‘taboo’ subjects. Through education, we will continue to help individuals and communities navigate these harms. Moreover, a sundial represents the passage of time and the opening up of a new day. At Sundial, we believe in the power of change and the promise of a brighter future. Every day offers an opportunity for progress, breaking free from harmful traditions, and for building a world where everyone can live with dignity.

Our team at Sundial is as diverse as the symbol we have chosen. We come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and bring a wide range of experiences to our work. Just as sundials have been used across different cultures, our team reflects a multicultural commitment to ending these practices wherever they occur, with a specific focus on the power of sharing lived experience. In choosing the name Sundial, we are making a statement: we are here to guide, to illuminate, and to mark the passing of time towards a better and safer world for all. Together, we can turn the dial towards change. 

By Emma, Youth Champion and Body Image Facilitator