In Somalia and Somaliland, a large proportion of girls and women are still circumcised. Kindernothilfe is doing important educational work against the brutal practice.
Vienna (OTS/www.kindernothilfe.at) – „Female circumcision is life-threatening and almost inevitably leads to infections
“, warns Asia Abdulkadir, country coordinator of Kindernothilfe on the occasion of the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation on February 6th. More than 200 million women and girls worldwide are victims of FGM – Female Genital Mutilation. It is not uncommon for the circumcision procedure to take place using the simplest equipment such as razor blades or knives and under catastrophic hygienic conditions – with sometimes life-threatening consequences for the girls. At more than 90 percent, Somaliland has one of the highest rates of affected women in the world. Parents whose daughters do not undergo this brutal ritual without medical necessity often face massive pressure from the community. Kindernothilfe carries out important educational work with various projects and protects girls and women from this dangerous practice.
„There is almost no girl or woman who can live without pain and subsequent damage after this cruel procedure
” says the country coordinator for Somalia, Asia Abdulkadir. That is why Kindernothilfe is calling for an immediate stop to female genital mutilation. According to Abdulkadir, this can only be achieved through comprehensive information and tough laws. “I am convinced that if we had a movement of men saying that they no longer wanted to marry circumcised women, things would change very quickly. And who refuse to have their own daughters circumcised. The Kindernothilfe projects therefore primarily work with men, especially opinion makers such as religious leaders.
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The children’s emergency aid projects also work at a political level. The aim is a final ban on the cruel practice, which is a clear violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The aim of educational campaigns is to reach not only religious leaders but also political decision-makers at local and national levels and encourage them to change their minds.
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Questions & Contact:
Children’s emergency aid Austria
Julia Drazdil-Eder
Communication
01/513 93 30-60
julia.drazdil-eder@kindernothilfe.at
www.kindernothilfe.at