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INFIBULATION: EMMA BONINO OPENS IN DJIBOUTI THE WORKS OF THE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY NO PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATIONS. REPRESENTATIVES FROM 10 COUNTRIES AND MORE THAN 100 RELIGIOUS EXPONENTS ARE PARTICIPATING.
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Djibouti, 2 February 2005 - The Sub-regional Conference on Female Genital Mutilation, "Towards a political and religious consensus against FGM", organised by the International Non Profit Organisation No Peace Without Justice, in cooperation with the government of Djibouti, and the financial support of Djibouti-based UN Agencies, numerous governments - among whom the Italian Cooperation - and other public and private sponsors, was opened this morning in Djibouti.
The conference is part of international "STOP FGM!" campaign, lead by No Peace Without Justice and AIDOS (Associazione Italiana Donne per lo Sviluppo), in cooperation with UNICEF, that has already reached important results with the Conference in Cairo, held in June 2003, and the other one in Nairobi, held in September 2004.
The works have been opened by the First Lady of Djibouti, H. E. Kadra Mahamoud Haid, President of the National Union of Djibouti Women, and by Hon. Emma Bonino member of the European Parliament and founder of No Peace Without Justice. The conference is attended by the highest Islamic religious authorities of the region and a great number of "imam" from Djibouti, governmental representatives (among whom the Minister for Women’s Affairs of the new Somali provisional government, Mrs. Fowzia Mohamed Cheik), parliamentarians and civil society exponents from 10 countries: Djibouti (where FGM prevalence is up to 98% among women), Somalia (98%), Ethiopia (80 %), Kenya (43 to 89 %), Eritrea (44 %), Egypt, Senegal, Sudan, Mali and Yemen.
The conference is aimed at reaching a common position of refusal against FGM, in a region where its incidence is almost total, and to accelerate the process of implementation and effective application of the Maputo Protocol on the African Woman Rights that stipulates in Article 5 that FGM should be prohibited and condemned. Up to now the Protocol has been ratified by 8 countries (Libya, Comoros, Rwanda, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria) and the announcement of the ratification by the government of Djibouti is expected for tomorrow.
The Conference is dedicated, in particular, to examining the relationship between Islam and FGM. This issue has been chosen by local activists because the religious "alibi" is often used to justify FGM practice. On the basis of a study achieved in 2002 in the framework of the PAPFAM Project (Pan Arab Project for Family Health, League of Arab States), it is proved that the majority of women raise religious arguments to perpetuate the tradition of FGM that, in Djibouti and, generally, in the other countries of the African Horn, is practiced in its most extreme form, ie infibulation, which means the total removal of woman's external sexual organs.
The conference is part of international "STOP FGM!" campaign, lead by No Peace Without Justice and AIDOS (Associazione Italiana Donne per lo Sviluppo), in cooperation with UNICEF, that has already reached important results with the Conference in Cairo, held in June 2003, and the other one in Nairobi, held in September 2004.
The works have been opened by the First Lady of Djibouti, H. E. Kadra Mahamoud Haid, President of the National Union of Djibouti Women, and by Hon. Emma Bonino member of the European Parliament and founder of No Peace Without Justice. The conference is attended by the highest Islamic religious authorities of the region and a great number of "imam" from Djibouti, governmental representatives (among whom the Minister for Women’s Affairs of the new Somali provisional government, Mrs. Fowzia Mohamed Cheik), parliamentarians and civil society exponents from 10 countries: Djibouti (where FGM prevalence is up to 98% among women), Somalia (98%), Ethiopia (80 %), Kenya (43 to 89 %), Eritrea (44 %), Egypt, Senegal, Sudan, Mali and Yemen.
The conference is aimed at reaching a common position of refusal against FGM, in a region where its incidence is almost total, and to accelerate the process of implementation and effective application of the Maputo Protocol on the African Woman Rights that stipulates in Article 5 that FGM should be prohibited and condemned. Up to now the Protocol has been ratified by 8 countries (Libya, Comoros, Rwanda, Namibia, Lesotho, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria) and the announcement of the ratification by the government of Djibouti is expected for tomorrow.
The Conference is dedicated, in particular, to examining the relationship between Islam and FGM. This issue has been chosen by local activists because the religious "alibi" is often used to justify FGM practice. On the basis of a study achieved in 2002 in the framework of the PAPFAM Project (Pan Arab Project for Family Health, League of Arab States), it is proved that the majority of women raise religious arguments to perpetuate the tradition of FGM that, in Djibouti and, generally, in the other countries of the African Horn, is practiced in its most extreme form, ie infibulation, which means the total removal of woman's external sexual organs.
