Why Clitoraid?

Clitoraid is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Rael, spiritual leader of the International Raelian Movement, to combat Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) by offering clitoral restorative surgery to survivors—primarily in Africa and the United States. Its mission is to help restore sexual pleasure, bodily autonomy, and dignity to women affected by FGM/C.

Since its founding, Clitoraid has carried out several humanitarian missions in Africa, including in Kenya and Burkina Faso, where it awaits the official opening of its “Pleasure Hospital,” a facility dedicated to providing free reconstructive surgeries. Since 2009, Clitoraid’s volunteer surgeons have performed over 600 procedures, with approximately 60% of patients reporting the ability to experience orgasm post-surgery.

To support its work, Clitoraid runs the ongoing international “Adopt a Clitoris” fundraising campaign. Beyond surgery, the organization promotes global sexual health and female empowerment by educating the public about the clitoris—an often-overlooked organ solely dedicated to pleasure. In 2015, Clitoraid launched Clitoris Awareness Month, observed each May alongside National Masturbation Month. This campaign seeks to break taboos surrounding female sexuality through lectures, art exhibits, and public discussions, encouraging women worldwide to embrace their anatomy and reclaim their pleasure.