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Research reveals high FGM rates in
Kurdistan
25.9.2009
By Arvid Vormann
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September 25, 2009
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq',— Our large-scale
research on Female genital mutilation FGM in Kurdistan is reaching the final
stage. Right now we are in the process of
evaluation. We found some remarkable results, among
these the FGM rate:
The average mutilation rate we found is higher than
expected: 72,7% of the women are genitally mutilated
in the areas of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Garmyan/New
Kirkuk.
We had to leave out the region of Dohuk because we
had difficulties with the polling procedure and
moreover the data collected seemed to be
inconsistent. We found only 4% mutilation rate,
which might be right or wrong – we cannot prove it.
In Arbil governorate the rate is comparatively low
(63%), in Sulaimaniyah it is as high as 77,9% and in
Garmyan it reaches even 81,2%.
Women today seem to have a greater chance to escape
FGM than women had some decades ago. The rate among
women younger than 20 years old is 57% whereas the
rate among women between 50 and 59 is nearly 85%. In
Erbil,www.ekurd.net even among women above 80 years the rate is
“only” 80%, but in Garmyan from 60 years onwards it
is 100%.
In Sulaimaniyah and Garmyan, we find a sharp decline
in the mutilation rate of about 20% among women
younger than 20 years old. This is indicating a
positive trend. In Erbil, this positive trend seems
to have taken place earlier. Nowadays, considering
these numbers, the rate in Erbil even seems to be on
the rise again.
* Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a human
rights violation and a severe form of violence
against women and children. In Iraq, as in other
countries of the Middle East, official documents of
governments and United Nations agencies alike, still
neglect this abuse. As a consequence, Women’s groups
and human rights organizations, supported by the
German NGO Wadi initiated the campaign »Stop FGM
Kurdistan
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
stopfgmkurdistan wordpress.com
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