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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tanzania: Anti-mutilation Campaign Underway

November 16, 2010
AfricaNews.com
Jacob Mugini

The Dar es salaam based Children's Dignity Forum (CDF) has started an aggressive campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) in various rural villages of the Tanzanian Tarime District.
The campaign is meant to rescue thousands of young girls who are lined up for circumcision in the district next month.Some young girls interviewed say they will reject to be mutilated after realising the effects of FGM through the campaign that started here last weekend.

‘I will not be circumcised because I have heard consequences of FGM in this campaign’, Joyce Wangwe, a standard three pupil at Rebu primary school says.

The campaign involves a senior doctor from the Tarime District Government Hospital Dr Placidia Rweyemamu who highlights common effects facing young girls in the area.
On her side the CDF's Legal Officer Ms Grace Mghamba says the campaign has come at the right time when many girls are lineup for circumcision in almost the entire district.

‘We are optimistic that we will serve a good number of girls from undergoing FGM because some have already promised to resist’, the official says.
Tarime is one of the areas in Tanzania where FGM is widely practiced despite the act is against the Tanzanian law.