I know this is a super long post, but it's so important! That, and it is my birthday and I'll post what I feel like. :)
If you don't know what Female Genital Mutilation is, I recommend that you Wikipedia it and find out more. My heart breaks over this practice, and this is why today is so important. Read the press release below. Spread the word.
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Dear World Relief Next Advocate,
The following is a letter from the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children. Please consider this in prayer today as millions of lives are impacted by the atrocity of FGM.
Whatever we can do to spread awareness, it begins with thoughtful prayer and consideration (LOVE). Go further and dig into the facts and figures surrounding FGM (LEARN). Bring it up in conversation today with a friend; you never know whom you might touch and the effect it will have on the precious life of one (ENGAGE).
Save One Girl from the Knife.
Gratefully,
World Relief NEXT
COMITE INTER-AFRICAIN (CI-AF) SUR LES PRATIQUES TRADIONNELLES
ayant effet sur la santé des femmes et des enfants
Ref: IAC/February 6. /01.09
Date: January 28, 2009
Press Release for Friday February 6, 2009
From: The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC)
Headquarters: ECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
To observe February 6, 2009 as the International day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) with her Affiliates and Partners across the world calls on Governments, Parliamentarians, UN Agencies, NGOs, donor community, Religious leaders, Community leaders, Youth, communities and members of the Press to make a greater commitment to ensure the elimination of FGM.
The theme for this year's observation is “Political will at the Center of Achieving
Zero Tolerance to FGM".
The objective of observing February 6 is to draw the attention, at the international and national levels to efforts that need to be exerted to free women and girls from female genital mutilation and to accelerate action towards its elimination by the set target date of 2010 according to the Common Agenda for Action or by 2015 being the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
Why focus on FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is Violence against Women. It is a violation of the human rights' principles, as stipulated in Article 24.3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), other International and Regional instruments and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights Relating to the Rights of Women, (Article 5). The Millennium Development Goals advocate for the promotion of Gender Equality and Empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health.
Female Genital Mutilation refers to any practice that involves the partial or total removal or alteration of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
By a conservative estimate, about 2 million women and girls are subjected to FGM worldwide with devastating consequences. Studies have shown a correlation between FGM and the high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity in African countries where FGM is prevalent. There is also clinical evidence that FGM presents a serious risk in the transmission of HIV/AIDS, especially among societies who practice it as an initiation rite using the same instruments on many girls at the same time.
February 6 was unanimously adopted at the International Conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM organized by IAC from February 4 to 6 2003 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Representatives at the Conference came from 49 countries including 4 First Ladies (from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry and Mali), Ministers, and Parliamentarians. Others included Religious, Community and Youth leaders.
IAC National Committees in 28 African countries, its Affiliates and Partners in Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and USA will mark February 6, 2009.
Some of the activities being organized by IAC include press conference, press interview, theatre show and songs by a school club in Addis Ababa Headquarters of IAC, panel discussions in Addis Ababa and in Geneva Liaison office highlighting FGM as a tradition that should be eliminated being a violation of the human rights of women and girls.
Specifically, the panelist will address the following areas among others:
-Building national frameworks to end FGM
-Enforcing change: the role of governments, political leaders in the campaign against FGM
-Implementation of international and national legal instruments relating to FGM
IAC success stories abound in communities in many African countries where its National Committees carry out interventions. There are cases where whole villages, denounce and ban FGM following community mobilization strategy. Egypt, Ethiopia and Ghana are a few examples.
By the events outlined around the world, for February 6, 2009, IAC and her partners are drawing global, national and community attention to the provisions in the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of women (Maputo Protocol Article 5) and other UN Conventions which support the promotion of the Human Rights of women and children and the elimination of FGM.
February 6 as the international day on Zero Tolerance to FGM has come to stay and it would be a reminder to governments for their commitments towards accelerating actions to eliminate the menace.
Berhane Ras-Work
Executive Director, IAC
INTER-AFRICAN COMMITTEE
COMITE INTER-AFRICAIN
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Thank you for your support of FGM victims. here is a PR released today that you may find interesting.
Clitoraid announces its first 5 clitoral reconstructive surgeries in U.S.
Genital mutilation victims enjoy new pleasure and dignity, thanks to science.
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 6 – Honoring Feb. 6 as a worldwide “Zero Tolerance Day” for the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), Las Vegas-based Clitoraid.org announced that its first five U.S. clitoral reconstructive surgeries will be performed Feb. 17 at the Trinidad, Colo., clinic of Dr. Marci Bowers, who has volunteered her services.
“Five women who endured hideous mutilation in their native African countries will finally recover their pleasure and dignity,” said Clitoraid spokesperson Nadine Gary.
Bowers, a world-renowned surgeon, has appeared on Oprah Winfrey and other TV shows. She is an expert in gender reassignment surgery and other sex-related procedures.
Gary emphasized that these first surgeries are only the preamble to a much larger project – completion of a “pleasure hospital” in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where thousands of FGM victims will have the procedure done for free, performed by volunteer surgeons.
“Rael [www.rael.org], the international spiritual leader and Clitoraid’s founder, launched this project,” Gary said, adding that the revolutionary surgery gives hope to some 150 million FGM victims worldwide. As children or adolescents, each underwent the horror of having her clitoris brutally sliced off by a female family member.
“The intent behind this barbaric practice is to curb the female sex drive at puberty, thus ensuring virtuous, virgin brides and faithful wives,” Gary said. “It’s incredibly painful – done without an anesthetic, using a knife or razor blade or even broken glass.”
The mutilation leaves deep physical and emotional scars, including a sense of shame.
“It even shatters the victim’s marriage, since she won’t be sexually aroused,” Gary explained. “And it slashes her self esteem, which in turn affects her children. That’s why we follow up post-surgery with an intensive sex reeducation program designed by sexologist Dr. Betty Dodson. The reconstructed clitoris needs specific daily stimulation to fully recover its pleasurable function. Meanwhile, the patient’s psyche must be freed from shame, so she can enjoy those newly discovered, wonderful sensations.”
Gary said Clitoraid’s ultimate goal is to permanently eliminate FGM.
“We use science to repair the physical damage, and love to understand not only the victims but the circumcisers, who were sexually mutilated themselves,” Gary said. “We tell them sexual pleasure is noble and virtuous. It’s a fundamental right for all human beings – women included!”
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