(6 Feb) – In the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) the Italian Cultural Institute in Addis Ababa and the Italian Development Cooperation organized a special event, scheduled for today at the headquarters of the IIC. It will start with a debate on the FGM, hosted by Giulia Giacomuzzi (program officer of the Italian Cooperation), Yayeyirad Kitaw (public health physician of Egldam) and Abebech Alemneh Belay (program officer of IAC). And there will be more. The program also provides space for the cinema with the screening of ‘Moolaadé’ by Ousmane Sembene, a 2004 documentary film, awarded as best film in the category ‘Un Certain Regard’ at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie faces the FGM, reporting the story of 6 girls from a village in Burkina Faso.
The event is supported by two organizations committed in the fight of these practices which violate the integrity of women: Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) and Ethiopia Goji Limadawi Dirgitoch Aswogaj Mahiber (Egldam). “With this initiative – said in a note – the Italian Cooperation aims to increase knowledge and promote awareness around the issue of FGM, a practice still widespread in many countries of the African continent.” (Ram)
IN ITALY 35 THOUSAND WOMEN VICTIMS OF FGM
The practice of female genital mutilation ‘hits’ over 140 million women worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Health Organization, also, at least 3 million girls are at risk for cutting each year. FGM is generally performed on girls between ages 4 and 14, although in some cultures as early as a few days after birth. Because of immigration, this practice, ranging from incision to removal – partial or whole – of the external female genitalia, has spread in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. The European Parliament estimates that 500 thousand women and girls living in Europe have undergone genital mutilation and that every year 180 thousand risk to suffer the same fate, that means physical, psychological and moral damage. Every day, in Italy, 8 girls are at risk and until 2012 at least 35 thousand women living in our country have suffered such mutilation.
