Public launch of the Worldwide Ban FGM Campaign website

September 29, 2010

No Peace Without Justice

On 23 September 2010, in New York, No Peace Without Justice, The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children & Euronet-FGM organized a high-level meeting to present the International Campaign to Ban Female Genital Mutilation worldwide at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
 
Participants of the meeting, which was opened by The First Lady of Burkina Faso H.E. Mrs Chantal Compaoré, a long-time campaigner against Female Genital Mutilation and the Inter-African Committee Good-Will ambassador, included, among others, Franco Frattini, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Emma Bonino, Vice-President of the Italian Senate and former European Commissioner, Rachel Mayanja, UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Louise Arbour, President of ICG and former High Commissioner for Human Rights, Carol Bellamy, former Executive Director of Unicef.
 
The event provided an opportunity for prominent human rights defenders, members of Parliaments and civil society activists from countries where Female Genital Mutilation is committed to advocate for the international campaign, in which they are actively involved, aimed at promoting the adoption of a Resolution by the 65th United Nations General Assembly that universally and explicitly bans FGM.
 
The aim of the meeting was also to launch publicly the Worldwide Ban FGM campaign website (http://www.banfgm.org/) and the appeal calling for a worldwide ban on female genital mutilation by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010.
 
The United Nations Resolution would be an extremely important instrument to underscore the gravity of Female Genital Mutilation as a human rights violation, specifically the right to physical integrity, that affects the lives of millions of women around the world. The UN Resolution, in addition to being a worldwide ban on female genital mutilation, would reinforce the regional and international conventions that recognize FGM as a violation of human rights, give new impetus to efforts to improve national laws banning FGM where they exist, or to adopt one, where they do not, as well as provide strong and clear support for all activists working to bring an end to the practice.
 

GAMCOTRAP Seeks Parliament’s Cooperation in Enacting Anti-FGM law

September 28, 2010

Today: The Gambia's Quality Newspaper

Fatoumatta Saho

The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting The Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) has extended its campaign against female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices which endanger the lives of women and girls to the members of The Gambia National Assembly.

In its latest engagement, GAMCOTRAP wants the understanding of the legislators for the need to institute laws that prohibit FGM practice and safeguard the dignity of the person of the human body.

Speaking at the opening of the consultation with parliamentarians, the executive director of GAMCOTRAP, Dr. Isatou Touray noted the importance of the consultation, which she noted is the third of a series towards the elimination of FGM in The Gambia.

According to her, some parliamentarians have participated in previous sensitization programmes which were also expository of the health effects of FGM. She said that there is no dearth of information concerning the international, national and regional conventions which GAMCOTRAP and other women’s right organization are engaging to create awareness on the effects of FGM.

She noted that the consultation with the parliamentarians marked another important day in a series of consultations that have been ongoing at community levels where some of the National Assembly members were present. “I am happy to say that most of the community interventions that have been going on at the country level have been with the effective participation of the National Assembly members,” she said.

She noted that the programme was strategically targeted at the National Assembly select committees on women and children and on health, since the issues tabled for discussion concerned the health, rights and the bodily dignity and integrity of the woman and the girl child. “I believe the consultation would consolidate the series of consultations that have been going on women’s right issues, particularly in the area of gender-based violence and FGM, to be able to help particularly the select committees to be strategic advocates in the parliament.”

According to her, as women rights organization that takes the lead in promoting women’s and children’s right, they have in collaboration with other strategic partners like the Women’s Bureau, Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia and some religious scholars been setting the stage for a legislation that would protect women and girl children from FGM and other associated practices.

“We have worked with lots of you and this is just a continuation of the recommendation coming out of those programmes saying that we should work strategically with the selected committee on women and child and on health.”

She recalled that a Gambian delegation comprising legislators attended a May 2010 regional ceremony of the United Nations ban of FGM held in Dakar Senegal which had in attendance representatives from 28 African countries. Out of these, 19 countries have already passed a law on FGM.

“The Gambia is not doing badly because we were able to report all the works that have been going on and the efforts put together. The remaining is to fulfill all those obligations by crowning it with a law. A law is not a question of helping women but a fundamental right and a duty to ensure that it is in place to protect women and girls from the harmful traditional practices. Therefore, it is about fulfilling the commitments made at the international, national and regional level and also at the country level as speculated in the constitution of The Gambia; that is why we are working with the selected committees.”

She further said that best practices have been established in other countries and The Gambia is not reinventing the wheel, but adopt what is positive for all, as she further noted protecting women and girl children is important as they are active participants in national development. “Therefore you all have a duty as National Assembly members towards promoting women’s human right.”

“This proposed bill is a proposed bill because as primary stakeholders, we have a duty to take the lead in pushing the agenda forward but we are not taking responsibility because it is not our duty. Our duty as an NGO is to take the lead in bringing things together and passing it on to the right channel for it to be realized and that is why GAMCOTRAP brings in the selected committees on women, girls and health to be on the same level of understanding and awareness regarding the matter at hand, for us to be able to push the agenda so that you will be able to pass the bill when it comes to FGM.”

Delivering his statement, Hon. Momodou Touray, chairman for the National Assembly select committee on women and children said the only way forward to eradicate FGM is through sensitization, because if people are sensitized, they would be aware and this would lead to the achievement of aims and objectives. “Let GAMCOTRAP sensitize everybody in The Gambia and make them understand the danger and health hazard about FGM practices,” he said.

He also urged his colleagues ensure that they also sensitise the people of their constituencies on the need for action against FGM. “We all know that it is a deep rooted culture because we cannot say that it is religious, to uproot it will not be easy. We can only do it by approaching our people politely, patiently accept whatever they are going to tell us so that we can convince them in the final analysis to put a law against FGM.”

According to Hon. Saikouna Sanneh, many countries have already put a law in place against FGM. He said it is the duty of the National Assembly to defend the interest of women of the country. “On the 29th September 2008, at the Kairaba Conference Hall, there was a declaration that we made in the interest of women of this country,” he said.

GAMCOTRAP has set up elaborate advocacy and sensitization programmes to promote the sexual and reproductive health of the women and the girl child. In line with his action plan, it has also sensitized several communities including the men, women, boys, girls, religious leaders, Alkalos and chiefs across the country, and there has been considerable attitudinal change, according to the NGO.

The Universal Ban on Female Genital Mutilation: A Goal Within Close Reach

September 27, 2010

No Peace Without Justice

On the occasion of the visit to Rome of four of the most committed African anti-FGM activists, the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational Transparty and No Peace Without Justice are organising a Roundtable Discussion on "The universal ban on female genital mutilation (FGM): a goal within reach", to be held in Rome (via di Torre Argentina 76) on 27 September 2010, from 11h00 to 13h00.

For nearly 30 years, Arab and African activists have been engaged in combating one of the most widespread and systematic violations of the most fundamental human rights, specifically the right to physical integrity. FGM is committed against 150 million women worldwide, in 27 African countries and in Yemen, as well as in Europe and North America, in which FGM is now practiced as a result of migration over recent decades.

In the last ten years, the longstanding dedication of women’s rights advocates and the increasing political commitment shown by affected States has led to significant progress. Twenty countries have currently enacted national legislation which prohibits and penalises FGM; the African Union has taken a strong position condemning the practice through the Maputo Protocol banning female genital mutilation as a violation of human rights; and many governments are engaged in the implementation of national action plans that, in conjunction with the law, provide information and awareness campaigns, especially in underdeveloped areas where the practice is more widespread.

These achievements have brought us to a pivotal moment in the fight against FGM. The universal ban on FGM, through the adoption of a specific resolution by the 65th General Assembly of the United Nations, is a goal within close reach.

Participants at the meeting will include, among others, Emma Bonino, Vice-President of the Italian Senate; Elisabetta Belloni, Director General of the Italian Cooperation; Mariam Lamizana, President of the Inter-African Committee against traditional practices; Ndeye Soukèye Gueye, representative of the Ministry for Family Affairs of Senegal; Khady Koita, President of La Palabre; and Marie Rose Sawadogo, Secretary of the National Committee for the fight against the practice of FGM in Burkina Faso.

For further information, please contact Carla Caraccio, email: ccaraccio@npwj.org, phone: +39 06 68979262-261. Check also the websites: www.npwj.org and www.banfgm.org

Sierra Leone: Anti-FGM Campaign Heats Up

Friday September 24, 2010

The Patriotic Vanguard, Sierra Leone News Portal

Maada Gumbu

Katanya Women’s Development Association (KAWDA) one of the leading advocates against Female Genital Mutilation in Sierra Leone has intensified its campaign against the age-old practice despite stiff resistance from traditionalists.

Ann-Marie Caulker, the Executive Director of KAWDA says, “We are not against people in the Bondo Secret Society which practices FGM, but it is the crude way it is done and the resultant effects that are of concern to us.”

She says many children have lost their lives during FGM ceremonies. The age-old practice has been part of Sierra Leonean culture since the pre-colonial era. However, not everything is bad about the society. Some women are taught positive things during the initiation ceremony.

They are taught motherhood, how to become good house wives, cultivation of good citizenship, the role of a woman in society, herbalism and other good virtues that need to be imbibed by women. This is to ensure that by the time they enter marriage they would have learnt many things that they need to know about the real world.

But the FGM practice which has led to harmful effects, has over the past decades aroused concern both locally and across the international scene. Some of the harmful effects that have been observed to result from the practice are: pregnancy- related complications as a result of injuries sustained during the process, contracting HIV/AIDS, chronic infection and in extreme cases deaths, which in many instances are not reported to the police. The practice is common in all the regions of Sierra Leone; even in the capital, Freetown.

Far away at Njala, in the Moyamba district, southwest of the country, some girls were forcibly initiated five months ago and one had to be hospitalized. Another girl, Trina Fatima Kposowa (photo) escaped and has not been seen since. An alarm was raised in the town for her capture, but was nowhere to be found. Some of her relatives were accused of harboring her, an allegation they stoutly rejected. The leader of the Bondo secret society warned that Trina Fatima Kposowa had already become privy to the secrets of the society which is not open to non-initiates and therefore allowing her to go away without initiation would bring evil on the town and the society leaders. She threatened to search for her by all means and pointed out that wherever the girl went there are Bondo Secret society members there, so it was a folly for her to run away.

A new law has been enacted in Sierra Leone making it unlawful for a girl below eighteen years to be initiated. In other words, she has to reach the age in which she can freely make a choice of her own ; whether to be initiated or not. But Anti-FGM campaigners say even at eighteen, girls face the risk of dying especially with the crude method of mutilation. They pointed out that in many rural areas there are no medical facilities and the blades used are most times rusty and contagious. Some campaigners have pointed out the painful ordeals girls have revealed. Female Genital Mutilation is also known as Female Genital Cutting.

Apparently, this (the cutting) has been the cause for Trina Fatima Kposowa’s flight. Campaigners, including KAWDA, say successive governments have been reticent over the issue because of political reasons. Either they fear resistance from the members or because of massive support for the society they are a force to reckon with in the political dispensation of the country. Any attempt to offend the members will apparently lead to social disorder or political suicide.

The family of Trina Fatima is reported to be worried about her whereabouts. Campaigners say something needs to be done about the situation. “If she is seen today, she will definitely be initiated,” says one family member.

Protecting Women's Fundamental Rights

September 23, 2010

Franco Frattini

Deccan Herald 

Trying to simply impose behaviours by law is not enough: we have to go to the roots of the problem.

Promoting women’s rights at the global level must aim to enhance women’s role as pro-active individuals and as the essential and most effective channel for development and peace. However, to achieve this requires protecting women’s fundamental rights, first and foremost the right not to be subjected to violence. Italy has always been active with a number of initiatives and projects aimed at preventing violence against women. I am personally committed as a member of the ‘Network of Men Leaders’ launched last year by the UN secretary general within the scope of the campaign ‘Unite to End Violence Against Women.’ One of Italy’s main priorities in protecting and promoting human rights worldwide was combating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This practice is still a huge challenge in many parts of the world. In Africa, some traditional cultures consider it to be beneficial to women and their families, believing that it ensures girls a proper marriage and promotes chastity and family honour. Other countries in Europe, once unaffected by this practice, have become familiar with FGM over the last years, including Italy, where we have now an estimated 35,000 cases of FGM. Roots of the problem Female genital mutilation has been neglected for centuries. It was considered a kind of taboo, and the fact that it was often associated with ancestral traditions or religious myths complicated any open form of discussion or challenge. Illiteracy, poverty, and a lack of information have contributed greatly to the problem. Luckily, over the last decade, the interest in and commitment to end this practice has reached a new level. FGM is now generally considered a violation of the human rights and physical integrity of women and girls. Since the 1980s Italy has been actively engaged in programmes to combat and prevent FGM, starting in Somalia. In 2004 we initiated a partnership with Unicef aimed at the creation of a political, legal, and social framework for the abandonment of the practice of FGM. We are now one of the key donors to UN programmes in this field, including the Unicef/Unfpa joint programme on FGM. We are keen to reinforce our global partnership on this issue. The challenge is huge and requires a comprehensive approach and a wide range of strategies to be addressed effectively. One element is crucial to guide our action: understanding the social and cultural dynamics related to FGM. Trying to simply impose behaviours by law is not enough: we have to go to the roots of the problem and work on positive actions as well, especially in the fields of education and public awareness campaigns. I wish to clarify that there is no paternalism in our attitude nor have we any desire to impose ‘western standards’ on traditional cultures. Our objective is simply to support African ownership of this initiative and strengthen a process that Africa itself started a long time ago. Besides, we are not starting from scratch. We can now build on several initiatives that have taken place over the last months: in September 2009 we held in New York the first ministerial meeting on FGM, which brought together an initial group of 14 countries committed at the national and international level to support the fight against FGM; two months later, the government of Burkina Faso, together with Italy and the NGO ‘No Peace Without Justice’ organised a high-level regional meeting in Ouagadougou entitled ‘Towards a Global Ban of FGM’; in March 2010, an event at the margins of the Commission on the Status of Women was co-chaired by the Ministers for Gender Issues of Egypt, Italy and Senegal, and a resolution on ending female genital mutilation was adopted by consensus, tabled by the African Group, and endorsed later by ECOSOC. Last but not least, in May 2010 an Inter-Parliamentary Conference took place in Dakar, with representatives of parliaments and civil society from 28 African countries, and a declaration was adopted urging, inter alia, the UN General Assembly to adopt a resolution banning FGM in the world  in 2010. We believe that the time has come to present an ad-hoc resolution on FGM at this session of the UN General Assembly. Such a resolution should be brief and touch on a selected number of priorities: a solemn ban on FGM, a reference to the main legal and cultural instruments underlying that goal, an appeal to the international community and the UN system, and a light follow-up mechanism. The main point, however, is that this would be the first time the supreme body of the United Nations had spoken out on this matter — a major achievement in itself. This is one of the goals that we have set for this upcoming session of the General Assembly and I trust that the international community will be able to achieve it.

Planning on Girl Power

September 22, 2010

Louise Hogan

Irish Independent 

Television stars threw their weight behind a worldwide campaign to help improve the conditions of young girls in a bid to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

MTV presenter Laura Whitmore and RTE's Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh (pictured) revealed the number of child brides and the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) were key issues to be addressed.

About 140 million girls have undergone FGM and each year two million are subjected to it, according to figures gathered as part of the children's charity Plan Ireland's 'Because I am a Girl' campaign.

"We can't presume with all the influx of Africans coming to live in Europe . . . it is very new to us, we can't presume that FGM isn't carried out here," Blathnaid said yesterday at the launch at Dublin's Mansion House.

Campaign to Stop Female Genital Mutilation

September 21, 2010

Screen Africa

A radio documentary highlighting the illegal practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) produced by a group of teenagers from Bristol will be broadcast on Wednesday 22 September on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. The radio programme will broadcast part of the project and interview its creators about the issues it raises.

The project, run by the charity Integrate Bristol, was made possible thanks to Mediabox funding awarded to the group with the help of South West Screen.

The group of young women, who remain anonymous, interviewed a range of experts for the documentary, including FGM expert Sarah McCulloch, Doctor Hilary Cooling who provided a medical insight into the risks of the procedure, Cross Government FGM Co-ordinator Hannah Buckley, and Dave McCallum, Chief Detective Inspector of Somerset Police. Also interviewed were an Imam who explained the truth about FGM and Islam, as well as young men and a mothers and grandmother from the Somali community.

Integrate Bristol says: “The main aim of this group of brave young women was to raise awareness about this dangerous, traumatic and illegal practice, and to raise questions about why so little is being done to protect vulnerable girls. They chose radio as a medium because they felt it would allow themselves, as well as interviewees from practicing cultures, a greater degree of privacy. It also became clear that there is a real need for a national helpline for girls who have any questions or concerns regarding FGM.

Female genital mutilation is a cultural practice carried out in more than 28 African countries, particularly Somalia, Egypt and Sudan, where part or all of the genitalia is removed from girls. The practice, which is illegal in the UK and most other countries including Somalia and Sudan, can cause urinary infections, kidney failure and death. In the UK, it is estimated that up to 24,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM.

In Bristol alone it is believed that around 2,000 girls are at risk. For more information visit www.stopfgm.org.uk.

Gamcotrap Trains 100 Parents on FGM

September 20, 2010
The Daily Observer--Gambia News


The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) Thursday trained 100 parents from Ebo Town on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) at a one-day workshop held at the B.O Semega Janneh Hall in Tallinding.

The objectives of the training are to increase awareness on harmful traditional practices amongst women and men and to work towards the banning of female FGM. Speaking at the ceremony, the deputy mayor of KMC, Yusupha Sanyang, affirmed that they have been working with Gamcotrap for a long time in the eradication of FGM, poverty and hunger mostly among children and women.

He noted that the workshop is a very significant one because it brought together both male and female participants. He added: "FGM, though a very old practice that cannot be eradicated easily, should be a national duty to everyone to fight." Njundu Drammeh, coordinator of the Child Protection Alliance (CPA) said that the basic violation of girls and women's rights should be discussed and addressed to create awareness on the damage caused by FGM.

He also mentioned that early and forceful marriage, under-reported barriers to child survival and development are all human rights violations, adding that it is the obligation of the society to satisfy the fundamental needs of the children for their development, personality, talent and ability.

Dr. Isatou Touray, executive director of Gamcotrap informed the gathering that one Michelle Gin, a student in USA, saw the Gamcotrap articles on the newspaper and decided to sponsor the workshop. She also briefed the participants on FGM, pointing out that the practice is very harmful to women and children, adding that if a woman is well the whole house will be healthy, but if she is affected by sickness the entire household is suffocated.