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Ladies and Gentlemen, The traditional practices of a society are closely linked with the living conditions of the people and with their beliefs and priorities

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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Address by

DR HUSSEIN A. GEZAIRY REGIONAL DIRECTOR

WHO EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION to the

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND OTHER HARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTICES

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 4–6 February 2003

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to attend this international conference on female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. At the outset I must express my deep sense of gratitude to the Government of Ethiopia for hosting this important activity, and to our colleagues from the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children for their pivotal role in bringing about this Conference.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The traditional practices of a society are closely linked with the living conditions of the people and with their beliefs and priorities. While some traditional practices are beneficial, others

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are negative and harmful in nature. In almost every society of the world, the reproductive role of women is associated with traditional taboos and myths, many of which have harmful effects on the lives and health of women.

One traditional practice that has attracted much attention for several decades is so-called

“female genital mutilation”. Wherever it has come to the attention of people who do not practise it, female genital mutilation has elicited reactions of horror and condemnation. While this has helped break the silence surrounding the subject, experience shows that their reaction generally blinds outsiders to the complexities of the issue, and may even exacerbate the problem.

The practice of female genital mutilation is restricted to a belt that extends across north- central Africa and far up into the Nile valley, through a host of diffirent cultures and societies. It is an ancient African practice that is not endorsed by any religion. For Islam, the Holy Quran makes it clear that any change in God’s creation is an atrocity inspired by the devil, while the Prophet ε said: “God cursed those women who mutilate or disfigure the creation of God.”

The World Health Organization has worked with its Member States to gather information and to generate awareness of the adverse effects of the practice. In 1979 WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean organized a seminar in Khartoum, Sudan, on traditional practices affecting the health of women and children. The Khartoum seminar was one of the first interregional and international attempts to exchange information on traditional practices, and in particular female circumcision, in countries of the Region and to make specific recommendations on measures to be taken by the health services to prevent and control this serious practice. Since then, numerous seminars, workshops and consultations, organized by the Regional Office, have drawn the attention of Member States to this issue. In 1995, the Regional Office published an important contribution to the field through its health education through religion series. The document was entitled “Islamic Ruling on Male and Female Circumcision”. Prepared by distinguished scholars and scientists, the publication confirmed the non-religious nature of female genital mutilation.

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It is generally agreed that the initiative for abolition and control of female circumcision must be taken by women themselves from within the societies that practise it. Such national and local initiatives will receive complete support from the various agencies concerned. A joint statement by WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA in 1997 clearly established the collective condemnation of this practice by these three organizations, as well as their unequivocal opposition to any performing of the operation, under any circumstances, by physicians or other health professionals.

In recent years it has become clear that there is a need for a systematic, evidence-based approach for eliminating practices harmful to women, with specific focus on female genital mutilation. With this in mind, the Regional Office organized in 2000 an intercountry workshop to strengthen national capacity towards eventual elimination of practices harmful to women in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The workshop, which was held in Egypt, provided an excellent opportunity for assessing the extent of activities undertaken toward the elimination of female genital mutilation in the affected countries of the Region, for achieving better understanding of the perceptions and beliefs of communities with regard to FGM, and for identifying feasible and effective approaches towards the elimination of female genital mutilation. To support the recommendations of this workshop, the Regional Office, in collaboration with distinguished experts from the International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research of Al-Azhar University, in Cairo, Egypt, embarked in late 2001 on development of a training manual:

“Towards the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation”. The manual has been written in accordance with the socio-cultural norms and religious values of the Region and in line with the WHO/UNFPA/UNICEF Joint Statement. This manual is expected to be ready for distribution later this year.

Although the pace of change is slow and adherence to the practice remains strong in some societies, we may hope that the phenomenon will soon disappear from the countries where it is still practised, especially given the increasing commitment of decision-makers, and the increase in health and religious awareness and education among the public, in general, and among women, in particular. I would like here to seize this opportunity to praise the work of the Inter-African

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Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, which we all support.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am confident that this conference will succeed in determining appropriate strategies and a common agenda for action for eventual elimination of these awful practices, in agreeing on the measures needed to convey correct religious teaching to every father, mother and daughter, and in convincing all of the need for joint efforts to eliminate all harmful customs arising out of ignorance. “Everyone will have rank according to their deeds, so God may repay them for actions and they will not be harmed”.

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