Pawa`s Efforts in

ELIMINATING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation has been reported to occur in all parts of the world, but it is most prevalent in the western, eastern, and north eastern regions of Africa, where the majority of our Pan African members are originally from.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has no known health benefits. On the contrary it is known to be harmful to girls and women in many ways. First and foremost it is painful and traumatic. The removal of or damage to healthy, normal genital tissue interferes with the natural functioning of the body and causes several immediate and long term health consequences.

Communities that practice FGM report a variety of social and religious reasons for continuing with it. Seen from a human rights perspective, the practice reflects deep rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Female genital mutilation is nearly always carried out on minors and is therefore a violation of the rights of the child. The practice also violates the rights to health, security and physical integrity of the person, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

Decades of prevention work undertaken by local communities, governments and national and international organizations have contributed to a reduction in the prevalence of female genital mutilation in some areas but this is a practice that still in 2009 affects members of our organization. Members of Pawa`s organization Musu Kambeng Kaffo and other affected members work and focus on the elimination of FGM within their respective communities but this battle continues as three million girls are estimated to be at risk of undergoing the procedure every year.

Pan African Women's Association in joining the global battle against FGM hopes to secure the well being of its members, women and children at large.

JOIN US IN THIS BATTLE BECAUSE WE TOO DESERVE TO FEEL WELL- WE ARE WORTH IT!!!!!