Title: The InterAfrican Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children IAC
1The Inter-African Committee on Traditional
Practices Affecting the Health of Women and
Children (IAC)
"Combating FGM- challenges in the fight against
Female Genital Mutilation"
Vienna, June 12, 2007
Presenter Berhane Ras-Work
IAC Executive Director
2CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
Female Genital Mutilation
understanding the nature and different
implications of the problem
3CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
Female Genital Mutilation - VIOLENCE against the
female person and her body
pain and suffering of the girl
risk for her life
social integration
Ethiopia - drama show at school
4CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
RELIGIOUS MISINTERPRETATION AND MISCONCEPTION
The Holy Bible
The Holy Koran
CHALLENGE
clarify and dissociate the practice from the
actual religious principles and teachings
5CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
VIRGINITY
satisfaction of the husband
honor of the family
CHALLENGES
- social
- economical
- political
6CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
LACK OF EDUCATION ON THE PART OF WOMEN AND MEN
CHALLENGE
Process of education and social mobilization
7CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
LACK OF POLITICAL WILL AND COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE
THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Numerous conventions, declaration, and
resolutions have been adopted to protect women
and girls
8CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
LACK OF POLITICAL WILL AND COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE
THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Regional level
- African Protocol
- Protocol to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa - The African Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality
9CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
LACK OF POLITICAL WILL AND COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE
THE STATUS OF WOMEN
National level
16 countries have legislated
10CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
11CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
INTEGRATED AND HOLISTIC APPROACH
12CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
DIALOGUES WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Symposium for Religious Leaders Ouagadougou,
Burkina Faso
13CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
DIALOGUES WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS
September 2007
Symposium for Religious Leaders in Cote d Ivoire
- Assessing the impact and building on the success
of the Cairo and Ouagadougou symposia - Enabling participants to share perspectives and
experiences in their campaigns. - Strengthening partnership between IAC and the
African network of religious leaders.
14CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
REACHING SOCIETY
Youth projects
Youth Forum, November 2006, Ethiopia
15CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
REACHING SOCIETY
Alternative Employment Opportunities for
ex-excisers
Alternative income production of shea tree
butter and sale of sugar beets - Benin
16CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
REACHING SOCIETY
Empowerment of women
Ex-exicers learning a soap making trade. Niger
2003.
17CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
REACHING SOCIETY
Training and Information Campaigns
Training of Traditional Birth Attendants Gambia
Participants receive certificate after completion
of the training - Cameroon
18CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
POLICY MAKERS
Lobbying and working on anti-FGM legislation
19CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
POLICY MAKERS
2007
Symposium for Legislators in 5 countries Sudan,
Guinea, Benin, Djibouti, and Tanzania
OBJECTIVES
- To draw attention to several international
instruments that address the issue of FGM, such
as Maputo Protocol - To sensitize, to lobby and to advocate for the
ratification of the Maputo Protocol - To familiarize with The Solemn Declaration on
Gender Equality - To empower legislators to change laws and make
them applicable - To advocate for change in the application of laws
20CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
MEDIA
IAC has been working with the media since 1992
2007
Workshops for the Media
OBJECTIVES
- To involve modern media professionals in
awareness and education campaigns on the
elimination of HTPs. - To enable participants develop a communication
matrix that would guide them to think through a
communication intervention for behavior change
(persuasive communication). - To identify the campaign methods that would
interest the various target audiences of media
professionals. - To engage the Media to give more visibility to
February 6 as the International Day on Zero
Tolerance to FGM. - To establish a Network of Media Professionals on
HTPs
21CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
PRODUCTION OF MATERIALS AND LOBBYING
IAC continues to lobby, produce appropriate
materials in its attempt to draw world wide
attention to the problem of FGM and other HTPs.
22CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
networks
collaboration
IAC affiliates in Europe, Canada, USA, New
Zealand, and Japan in addition to the 28 African
countries
23IACs activities has been evaluated
24Eradication of harmful traditional practices
VIOLENCE