Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children

Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children

The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which seeks to change social values and raise consciousness towards eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM) and other traditional practices which affect the health of women and children in Africa.cite book | title=Protecting Human Rights in Africa: Strategies and Roles of Nongovernmental Organizations | author=Welch, Claude E | year=1995 | publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press | series=Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights | editor=Bert B. Lockwood, Jr. | isbn=0812217802 | pages=87–88]

History

The IAC began at a seminar in Dakar in 1984 with a focus on fighting harmful practices relating to female genital mutilation (FGM), childbirth, nutrition and food, early marriage; and promoting traditional practices considered beneficial, such as breastfeeding and baby massage. [ cite book | title=Female Genital Mutilation | author=Momoh, Comfort | coauthors=Contributor Christine McCafferty, Dame Karlene Davis | year=2005 | publisher=Radcliffe Publishing | isbn=1857756932 | pages=163] Fighting FGM is the main focus of their work.cite book | title=Using Human Rights to Change Tradition: Traditional Practices Harmful to Women's Reproductive Health in sub-Saharan Africa | author=Packer, Corinne A. A. | year=2002 | series=School of Human Rights Research Series | volume=13 | publisher=Intersentia | isbn=9050951708 | pages=9] Now based in Addis Ababa, the IAC also has 32 national branches (known as National Committees) in 28 countries in Africa. It has a liaison office in Geneva and 15 affialiates in Europe, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and USA.

In 1990, the IAC adopted the term "female genital mutilation" to describe the procedure previously referred to as "female circumcision". [Citation | editor=Alexia Lewnes | year=2005 | title=Changing a Harmful Social Convention: Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation | booktitle=Innocenti Digest | pages=1–2 | isbn=88-89129-24-7 | url=http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publications/pdf/fgm-gb-2005.pdf | accessdate=2007-12-24 | publisher=UNICEF | location=Florence, Italy | author= [aed.: Alexia Lewnes ; trad.: Mariette Mosette Barraud] . | oclc=123550797 | format=dead link|date=October 2008 – [http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=intitle%3AChanging+a+Harmful+Social+Convention%3A+Female+Genital+Cutting%2FMutilation&as_publication=&as_ylo=2005&as_yhi=2005&btnG=Search Scholar search] ] According to a 1995 publication, the main focus of their strategy for eliminating FGM is through education.

Contributions

The IAC considers that legislative change related to FGM in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania and Togo is a result of the lobbying work carried out by the IAC as well as by other NGOs.

References

External links

* [http://www.iac-ciaf.com IAC website]


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