FGM IN KURDISTAN – WADI Press conference on BBC Film

Amid the huge international attention caused by the British Guardian and BBC documentaries about FGM in Kurdistan, WADI’s Iraq office held a a press conference on Wednesday. It was attended by media representatives from six major Kurdish satellite channels and several newspapers on Wednesday. WADI used this occasion to present new data about the decrease of FGM in Kurdistan and information on WADI’s current activities which are supported by the Dutch organization Hivos.

The new findings are based on interviews with 5,000 women and girls and indicate that WADI’s approach has led to a steep decrease in the practice. While 66 – 99% of women aged 25 and older were found to be mutilated in some areas where WADI is active, the percentage in the age group 6 – 10 was much lower. The greatest success story obviously being Halabja and Garmyan where in the age group 6 – 10 close to zero girls reported to be cut. In both areas FGM was previously practiced widely and the awareness campaign took off here first. In Suleimaniyah the rate of mutilation among 6-10 years old girls is at 11%, in Goptapa 21% and in Raniya – Wadi’s most recent operation area where the rate used to be close to 100% – it has now dropped to 48%. The usual age for the
cuttings is between 4 and 8 years.

More information on the survey:
http://en.wadi-online.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1094:significant-decrease-in-fgm-in-kurdistan-new-survey-data-shows&catid=15:presseerklaerungen&Itemid=109