Protecting Girls from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting - a matter of gender equality and social change.

One year after the adoption of the Italian law against female genital mutilation sees the presentation of the international project financed by the Italian Government and conducted by UNICEF, No Peace Without Justice and AIDOS – the Italian Association for Women’s Development. 
 
 
The audio-video conference

On 9 January 2006, Law No.7/2006 entered into force, introducing “Provisions concerning the prevention and prohibition of the practice of female genital mutilation”, a law that in addition to mandating specific penalties for those who practice FGM, includes the provision of information and prevention activities.

The bill had been within the parliamentary process for four years, during which different political and economic aspects of its implementation were analysed and evaluated in light of the many national and international activities that over time successfully multiplied, contributing to important results such as the entry into force of the Maputo Protocol, the Additional Protocol to the African Charter on Human Rights on the rights of women.

 
On the eve of the first anniversary of the Italian law, partners from the international project “Protecting Girls from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting – a matter of gender equality and change” wanted to refocus public attention on the problem of FGM, stressing aspects of the Italian law and its implementation and presenting the project financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through “Italian Cooperation”, which sees UNICEF leading a partnership with No Peace Without Justice, AIDOS, Tostan and other organisations in coordinated action in Sub-Saharan Africa.
 

On this occasion then, the International Day of Human Rights, but also the anniversary of the Italian law and of the entry into force of the Maputo Protocol, representatives from organisations for migrant women, ambassadors of African countries interested in the phenomenon of FGM, presidents of the regional equal opportunity commissions and human rights activists were invited to participate in a meeting which was held on 13 December 2006 in Rome. During the meeting, which was attended by ministers Emma Bonino, Livia Turco and Barba Pollastrini, partners from the project “Protecting Girls from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting” presented their activities to illustrate what will be required to implement the Italian law.
 
The meeting was held at the Chamber of Deputies in the Hall of Sacristy, Vicolo Valdina III from 10.30 to 13.30, with the support of the Parliamentary Group “La Rosa nel Pugno”.

 
PROGRAMME
 
Chair:
Hon. Roberto Villetti, President of the Group “La Rosa nel Pugno”;
 
Hon. Maurizio Turco, sponsor of the resolution on FGM in the European Parliament. 
 
 
10.30
 
Presentation of the international project by
Francesca Moneti,
UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre’s
Antonella Dentamaro, Alvilda Jablonko, FGM Programme Coordinators at No Peace Without Justice  and 
Daniela Colombo, President of the Italian Association for Women’s Development.

 
 
11.30
Intervention by “Italian Cooperation” on the fight against FGM in Italy;
Hon. Patrizia Sentinelli
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. 
 
11.45
The parliamentary initiative for the Italian law;
Hon Marina Magistrelli,
Legal Rapporteur to the Senate Committee on Justice.
 
 
12.00
Prevention of FGM in Italy by
Livia Turco, Minister for Health;
Barbara Pollastrini, Minister for Equal Opportunities;Emma Bonino, Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade.
 
12.30
Interventions:
Francesca Corse, Councillor for the protection of citizens’ rights, Province of Milan;
Maryam Ismail, Women on the Net, Lombardia;
Saida Ahmed Ali, Project Idil, Piemonte;
Laila Abi Ahmed, “Donne Nosotras”, Florence;
Lul Osman Mohamed, Somalian Women Migrants in Rome;
Fatoumata Guire, Assistant to Programmes in Africa, AIDOS;
Rita Bernardini, Secretary of the Radicali Italiani
 
13.00

Conclusions and screening of the short film “Amina” by Iranian director Sepid Nour Kalantari, with the support of the Piedmont Region, Turin Film Commisssion.