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FOUNDATION
FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT:
Promoting
Change, Well-being and Human Dignity
International Zero Tolerance to FGM Day: Make Female
Genital Mutilation History!
On this the third International Zero Tolerance
to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day,
The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development
(FORWARD)
urges the international community and African governments
to Make FGM History!
In February 2003, the Inter-African Committee on
Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women
and Children (IAC) adopted a "Declaration
of Zero Tolerance to FGM on the African Continent".
Today FORWARD renews its position on FGM and demands
that African governments issue, review and implement
laws and policies to protect African girls' and
women's sexual and reproductive rights, in accordance
with
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa,
which explicitly prohibits FGM.
FORWARD urges all stakeholders including governments,
UN agencies, international and local NGOs and community
based organisations to scale up the campaign to end
FGM which violates the fundamental human rights of
girls and women, including their right to life.
On December 6th 2005 a four year old Sudanese girl,
Enaam Abdelwahab, lost her life to FGM. In light
of this tragic event FORWARD launched a campaign
to urge the government of Sudan to ban all forms
of FGM and called for increased mobilisation to eliminate
FGM in Sudan. FORWARD appeals to human rights activists
worldwide to join this campaign by signing the online
petition to the Government of Sudan at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/6dec2005/.
Between today, Zero Tolerance to FGM Day, and International
Womens Day on March 8th FORWARD aims to collect
6000 signatures, one for each girl in the world that
WHO estimates is subjected to FGM every day. The
petition will be presented to the Sudanese Ministry
of Justice. Help send a clear and united message
to the Government of Sudan that FGM and the abuse
of girls' and women's rights will not be tolerated
in any form!
If you would like any more information about FGM
please check the FORWARD website or contact FORWARD
using the information below.
Thank you
FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health, Research & Development)
Unit 4,
765-767 Harrow Road,
London NW10 5NY | Tel: 020 8960 4000 |
Fax: 020 8960 4014
www.forwarduk.org.uk
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