INTRODUCTION
The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC), in collaboration with the Gambian Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP), held a Symposium for Religious Leaders and Medical Personnel at the Kairaba Hotel from 20 - 23 July 1998.
The objectives of this symposium were to:
Carry out dialogue between religious leaders and medical personnel on the religious and medical viewpoints on female genital mutilation;
Come up with recommendations that will bring out the religious and medical standpoints on female genital mutilation;
Formulate strategies from both the religious and medical perspectives to address violence against women particularly, female genital mutilation.
The symposium was attended by 26 religious leaders and medical personnel from 11 African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. Many individuals and media representatives were also present.
The group deliberated extensively on the negative effects of FGM on the health, psycho-social and socio-economic well-being, as well as human rights of women and girls. The participants reached a consensus that FGM is not prescribed by any religion and that the practice should be viewed as a cultural and not religious issue, therefore it should be stopped. Religious leaders were called upon to support the existing civil/international laws already in place and also to speak out boldly and make concrete statements clearly declaring that FGM, early marriage and other forms of violence are not religious obligations and, in fact, run contrary to the great and beneficial teachings of Islam and Christianity. The religious leaders on their part condemned the misuse of religion to perpetrate FGM and other forms of violence and called for aggressive campaigns to end these violence against women and children.
The participants agreed that activities should be based on information and educational programmes aimed at awareness creation among civil society. Action-oriented activities should be designed to reach the unreachable whilst targeting various groups with a view to bringing about attitudinal change.
The participants came up with a communique, declaration and recommendations condemning the practice of FGM and other harmful traditional practices and called for their eradication.