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Determination to end Female Genital
Mutilation FGM in Middle East
11.6.2012
By WADI, Hivos — via Ekurd.net |
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June 11, 2012
THE HAGUGE/SULAIMANIYAH, June 11, 2012,—
The silence on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in
the Middle East needs to be broken. To end this
brutal violation of human rights that is
systematically applied in the region, NGOs Wadi and
Hivos are expanding their pioneering work in Iraq to
eleven countries.
FGM was regarded for decades solely as an “African
problem”. But it is not just that; several
indications and first pilot surveys now shed light
on a topic that was never spoken about: FGM is
present everywhere in the Middle East.
After a first key conference in Beirut in January
with FGM-activists from several Middle Eastern
countries, Hivos and Wadi decided to jointly engage
in a programme to combat FGM in the region. The
first phase of the programme is to raise awareness
about the problem of FGM in the Middle East and
initialize a public discourse about it. An important
aspect is also to strengthen and enlarge the
regional network in combating the practice.
In a second phase, selected national partner
organisations will boost a concerted effort, adapted
to the special conditions for their countries. One
of the aims will be the implementation of laws and
policies prohibiting FGM.
The campaign Stop FGM Middle East is already under
way. First public starting points will be the
official presentation of a survey by Wadi about the
rates of FGM in the Kirkuk-Governorate on June 13,www.ekurd.net
a public event in the Dutch Parliament addressing
FGM on June 19 and a celebration in Sulaimaniyah on
June 20 of the adoption of the domestic violence law
in Iraqi Kurdistan one year ago, the first law in
the region that bans FGM.
Background
Women’s rights in the Middle East are violated
structurally and on a large scale. Domestic
violence, FGM, child and forced marriage and honor
killings are the gravest forms of gender based
violence. Among these violations, FGM is most
widespread.
The practice is culturally deeply rooted. It is seen
as a religious obligation and as a means to suppress
the sexuality of women. On the other hand it is also
believed that circumcision forms a prerequisite for
successful marriage. Fact of the matter is that
millions of girls who are mutilated suffer from the
negative physical and psychological consequences of
the mutilation.
Wadi in Iraq
German/ Iraqi organization Wadi has been working
tirelessly to fight FGM in Iraq, mostly in the
Kurdish region and more recently in Kirkuk, with the
support of Hivos. It was found that more than 50% of
the women and girls in Iraqi Kurdistan were
mutilated. In Kirkuk, where the ethnic composition
of the population is representative for the whole of
Iraq, 40% of the women had undergone FGM. Several
efforts – field work, campaigning and public
pressure – have raised awareness amongst the
population and politicians about the negative
consequences of FGM. This eventually led to the
Kurdish parliament passing an anti FGM law.
WHO definition
FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of
the human rights of girls and women. It reflects
deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and
constitutes an extreme form of discrimination
against women. It is often carried out on minors and
is a violation of the rights of children. The
practice also violates a person's rights to health,
security and physical integrity, the right to be
free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment, and the right to life when the procedure
results in death. FGM comprises all procedures that
involve partial or total removal of the external
female genitalia, or other injury to the female
genital organs for non-medical reasons and is mostly
carried out by traditional circumcisers.
For more information please contact Wadi Oliver M.
Piecha, oliver.piecha@gmx.net,+49-15154824532
and Hivos Gemma Andriessen, g.andriessen@hivos.nl,
+31-619596639.
WADI e.V.
Herborner Strasse 62
D-60439 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel: +49 69 57002440
Fax: +49 69 975392640
E-Mail: info@wadinet.de
www.wadi-online.de
Hivos
Raamweg 16
2596 HL The Hague
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 3765500
Fax: +31 70 3624600
E-Mail: info@hivos.nl
www.hivos.nl
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