International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: The struggle against Female Genital Mutilation
11月 28 2011, カテゴリー: プレスリリース

Since 2007 Clitoraid, the international charity dedicated to opposing FGM, has supported this important day. This year volunteers will be organizing events around the world, mostly on Friday, 25th November, to oppose FGM and promote the possibility of victims having surgery to repair their Clitoris.
“The ‘right of the body’ should be written into the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” declared Dr Brigitte Boisselier, President of Clitoraid. "We support the proposal by other international organizations that if all human beings are born free and equal then above all they must have an inalienable ‘right of the body’, meaning that the integrity, dignity and autonomy of their bodies should not be violated against their will. Obviously, performing FGM on innocent young girls is totally contrary to all human rights.”

Clitoraid is an international charity founded in 2006 by Raël, spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement to not only speak out against FGM, but also to overcome the practice in a more practical way – by allowing women to choose to have inexpensive surgery that (as much as is possible in each case) repairs the mutilations, restores physical pleasure and makes complications in childbirth less likely.
Boisselier continues, "A French surgeon of Hungarian origin, developed this surgical procedure, commonly known as FGM Reversal, 25 years ago. He then taught it to US surgeon Dr Marcie Bowers, and between them they have now trained more doctors. Together these remarkable surgeons are, thanks to science, able to help FGM victims to recover their dignity and pleasure.”
Since 2007 Clitoraid has assisted twenty-eight women from across Africa to have operations, many of these now live in first world countries such as Australia, Austria, Canada, Japan, the UK, the USA and Switzerland. There are a further twenty-four on the waitinglist in the USA, but over 300 who have requested the surgery still live in West Africa, and for them the cost is insurmountable.
Even though the doctors volunteer their time it costs $1700 for a typical FGM Reversal procedure in the United States, and similar amounts in other western countries (although, in France, the typical cost of 3000 Euros is covered through social security). Clitoraid has responded to this challenge by raising over US$125,000 to construct a small surgical hospital dedicated to FGM reversal near the town of Bobo Dioulasso in the central West African country of Burkina Faso. Komkasso Hospital, meaning ‘the women’s house’ is nearing completion and, if funding can continue to be raised, should open in 2012.

Clitoraid will be organizing events around the world prior to and on Friday, 25th November, to oppose FGM, rape, wife beating and all other forms of violence against women. In:
- Australia stand and fundraising during Melbourne Sexpo (nov. 24th to 27th)
- Canada “silent marches” will be held in Montréal, Québec, Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto.
- France street actions to inform about the cause will be held in Bordeaux, Nice, Colmar, Remiront
- Holland stand and fundraising during the Erotic fair in Hesselt (nov. 19th and 20th)
- Italy fundraising event in shopping centers will be held in Rimini
- Japan informing actions about the cause will be held on internet
- Korea informing actions about the cause will be held on internet
- Switzerland fundraising event will be held in Sierre (nov. 21st)
Actions will also take place in USA and Israel.
Donations may be made through http://clitoraid.org/donate, and both cash and in kind donations of suitable equipment and supplies are welcome.
For information and interview requests please contact Clitoraid press office.
Further information is available at:
http://www.un.org/en/events/endviolenceday/index.shtml
https://www.facebook.com/clitoraid
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Foldès
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4D93q1mXQs&feature=player_embedded
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
http://clitoraid.org/donate