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Rights organizations present a new study
about Female Genital Mutilation in Iraq
14.6.2012
By WADI — via Ekurd.net |
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Study about Female Genital
Mutilation Iraq presented by rights organisations in
Kirkuk
June 14, 2012
KIRKUK, Iraq's border with Kurdistan region,
— The first data collected on female genital
mutilation (FGM) in Iraq (outside of the Kurdish
region) was presented on Wednesday in a press
conference in Kirkuk by the local women's right
organization Pana and the German-Iraqi NGO Wadi. The
organizations conducted an in-depth research in
Kirkuk, in which 1212 women above the age of 13 were
interviewed. According to this data 38.2% of women
have undergone FGM.
With 65.4%, Kurdish women are the most affected
ethnic group. Arab women hold 25.7% and Turkmen
women 12.3%. The conductors of the study emphasized
that these rates should be regarded as minimum
numbers since they are based on mere self-report.
You may download the entire study in
English PDF or
Arabic.
About 40 people, among them the mayor of Kirkuk,
attended the event, although the security situation
in Kirkuk was extremely tense after three car bombs
have exploded in the city the same morning.
Journalists from several Kurdish and Arab satellite
TV stations and some local websites and newspapers
were also present. The mayor of Kirkuk thanked the
organizations for the research,www.ekurd.net
declared his support and showed himself committed to
the eradication of FGM in Iraq.
This research proved that FGM is also practiced
outside the region governed by the Kurdistan
Regional government. Countless women and girls may
be affected throughout Iraq.
The Kurdish parliament has banned FGM by law in
2011. Now women's rights activists and organisations
demand a similar ban to be issued by the central
parliament in Baghdad.
Some encouraging news already came in today:
According to some sources the Iraqi Government is
planning to include banning FGM into the penal code
and waits approval of the parliament.
wadi-online.de
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D-60439 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel: +49 69 57002440
Fax: +49 69 975392640
E-Mail: info@wadinet.de
www.wadi-online.de
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