“Seminar on resisting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)” conducting

“Seminar on resisting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)” conducting
in shaqlawa by Women Empowerment Organization


Background
According to World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined as cutting of a part or incomplete removal of the female external genitalia, due to cultural or religious causes.
The FGM is regarded as one of the most dangerous phenomena that affect both the somatic and psychological wellbeing of women, beside that it is one of important causes of family destruction and increase rate of divorces among circumcised women, that lead to development of a lot of social problems which rendering the community to become unhealthy one.
According to the Amnesty international organization, there are 130,000,000 women circumcised all over the world with increasing rate of 2 million per year, and according to a report from the same organization the highest ratio of this phenomena is found in Africa specially in Egypt and Sudan, but still FGM is not confined only to these area but found in scattered area worldwide, like Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey…etc.
Alwady organization following its survey in Iraq, it has published a report revealed that this phenomena is found surprisingly in a ratio of 67% in north of Iraq, which provoke the need to undertake serious actions against this risky phenomena that is against all the human rights concepts and has no relation to any religious contexts as it has already been prohibited by the highest religious and legal authority in Egypt as well a special law has been legislated to incriminate and punishing each one who perform this non humanitarian process in this country.
The importance and significance of this issue has been confirmed as the united nations has appointed the 6th of February to be the Global day for resistance against Female Genital Mutilation.
As Women Empowerment Organization (WEO) always believed that this phenomena is regarded not only as a dangerous risk factor on women health and social life but also it consider it as destruction to women’s rights as a human, from this point of view and with the occasion of global day for FGM, WEO cooperated with IRC organization to held an awareness seminar for more than 50 participants from Shaqlawa district, the participants include people from different community sectors as well as religious imams of this district, and from the point that Shaqlawa district found to be one of the districts with high ratio of FGM so it has been chosen to be the location for conducting such event.

Objectives:
• To announce the status of the FGM and rate of its spread worldwide generally and in Iraq and Kurdish region specifically, according to reliable international sources and reports.
• To share the point of view of different sectors regarding FGM issue, including religious, medical, human rights and law.
• To share information about the rules that have been taken ”if any “ by each sector to resist this dangerous phenomena.
• To setup a list of recommendations and what should be accomplish in the future to decrease the rate of spreading of FGM.


Attendance : men, women from the community, religious Imams , Parliament member , health sector, religious sector. .
Total of beneficiaries are (55), 25 male and 30 female, 45 hosts and 10 IDP.


Agenda
S Topic time
1 Welcome introduction by district commissioner of Shaqlawa (Mr. Dlawar Omar) 10.30
2 Welcome of WEO organization with expressing and clearing aims of this seminar with presenting report about FGM. 10.40
3 Speech by religious Prof. Dr. Basheer Hadad 10.50
4 Open dialogue and discussions between the attendance 11.10
5 Parliament speech and their achievements regarding to FGM. 11.40
6 Speech by Shaqlawa Heath Director 12.00
7 Results and suggestions 12.10
8 End 12.30


Discussion, clarification :
• Regarding to religious side it have been confirmed by the religious sector participants that there is no correct article mentioning circumcision or clitoridectomy in any holy books, to be a religious obligation, but people confusingly relating it to religion, in a contrarily of that all religious prohibiting any physically harms could touch the human being.
• Historically there were studies have mentioned this phenomena by ancient Egyptians starting-up at ages of pharaohs, so it’s not essential Kurdish tradition, but it spreaded from pharaohs civilization to the other next nations like African and in somehow reached to our nation surprisingly.
• From medical point of view as it has been discussed by participants from the medical sector, this issue harming women from both physically and psychologically, she can’t act normally and naturally in sexual relation that will lead to both partners in this relation to be frustrated and could be one of main reasons of polygamy and divorce and further social bad consequences.
• In our society this issue was in past so diffused and related to honor issues they was believe that clitoridectomy will keep woman away of sexual sins, but in our time we can touch that this issue became less than before.
• Regarding to law sector among the attendance, they confirmed that still there is no specific article for this issue in our legislations to aid in prohibiting clitoridectomy or punishing those who performing it.
• Regarding to human rights, it have been highlighted during this session that the Item NO.3, declares that each person had the right of life and freedom and personal safety. So clitoridectomy from this point of view regarded to be against the human rights.
• The three of effecting sides, law & health & religious , are agree that this issue is a disaster against the humanity in general, its effect on family and society not only women and must working together to eradicate it.
At the end of the event we asked the beneficiaries about their opinions regarding the issue and their suggestions to prevent this issue.





The following Recommendation have been proposed:
• The parliament should work on this issue and to put specific articles for prohibiting FGM and incriminating this phenomena by putting legal punishment for the performers.
• The NGOs and the media sectors should strengthen their activities on enhancing the awareness among people on this issue.
• The religious sector has to play a great role in prohibiting this phenomena and include this issue during the Friday pray speech that will have a comprehensive effect on the people.
• Increase the cooperation between the above sectors to get better achievement on this issue.

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