The intense emotional responses of empathy and rage bracket a spectrum of feelings people confront when they consider the millions of women and girls who have undergone bolokoli, takhoundi, tukore ir gudni'in - names in local languages for a procedure that mutilates female genitalia. Contributors not content with silent acquiescence have shown the courage to oppose a harmful practice that continues to plague women of African descent sentenced to a life of suffering through a damaging tradition.