Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) 1 The Inter-African Committee on Traditional...

Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC)

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The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC)

Presenter: Berhane Ras-Work IAC Executive Director

"Combating FGM- challenges in the fight against Female Genital

Mutilation"Vienna, June 12, 2007


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Female Genital Mutilation

understanding the nature

and different implications of the problem

CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION


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Ethiopia - drama show at school


pain and suffering of the girl

risk for her life

social integration

NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Female Genital Mutilation - VIOLENCE against the female person and her body


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RELIGIOUS MISINTERPRETATION AND MISCONCEPTION


CHALLENGE:

clarify and dissociate the practice from the actual religious principles and teachings

The Holy Bible The Holy Koran


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VIRGINITY


CHALLENGES:•social

•economical

•political

honor of the family

satisfaction of the husband


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LACK OF EDUCATION ON THE PART OF WOMEN AND MEN


CHALLENGE:

Process of education and social mobilization


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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


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•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

Regional level:


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16 countries have legislated

National level:


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BUILDING INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY



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INTEGRATED AND HOLISTIC APPROACH

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES



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Symposium for Religious Leaders – Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

DIALOGUES WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS



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Symposium for Religious Leaders in Cote d’ Ivoire

DIALOGUES WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERSSeptember 2007


•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.


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Youth projects

Youth Forum, November 2006, Ethiopia


REACHING SOCIETY


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Alternative Employment Opportunities for ex-excisers

Alternative income: production of shea tree butter and sale of sugar beets - Benin


REACHING SOCIETY


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Ex-exicers learning a soap making trade. Niger 2003.

Empowerment of women

REACHING SOCIETY



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Training and Information Campaigns

Training of Traditional Birth Attendants – Gambia

Participants receive certificate after completion of the training -

Cameroon


REACHING SOCIETY


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Lobbying and working on anti-FGM legislation

POLICY MAKERS



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Symposium for Legislators in 5 countries: Sudan, Guinea, Benin,

Djibouti, and Tanzania

2007


•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

POLICY MAKERS

OBJECTIVES:


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Workshops for the Media2007


•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

MEDIA

OBJECTIVES:

IAC has been working with the media since 1992


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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.


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INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

IAC affiliates in Europe, Canada, USA, New Zealand, and Japan in addition to the 28 African countries

networks collaboration


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IAC’s activities has been evaluated


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Eradication of harmful traditional practices

VIOLENCE

Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) 1 The Inter-African Committee on Traditional...

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