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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 (6th February 2006), The Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development (FORWARD) urges the international community and African governments to Make FGM History! Please continue to sign the petition (Link below).
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://new.petitiononline.com/dec62005/petition.html.
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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