Ambara Hashi Nur

1
Ambara Hashi Nur

• Project Co-ordinator, Iftiin, Daphne, EU
• Chairman of Somali Women Association in Denmark.

2
The aim of the conference

• Eradicating FGM
• To empower the ethnic women
• To promote their health
• Prevent FGM and other lifestyle-related diseases
• To promote the women's knowledge, attitudes and
  capability
• To make radical changes in their life-conditions
  thereby promoting "equality in health" among
  ethnic women in Europe.
• To involve other ethnic women organizations in
  the project, as it is not only the somali women
  who needs to be informed more widely about women
  rights, health and FGM.
• To work with the humanitarian rights for women
  and children, family planning, health related and
  cultural issues in order to elaborate and empower
  the target group in the future.

3
FGM is forbidden I Denmark

• The law also makes it possible to punish those
  taking part in female circumcision abroad
• Health professionals and other persons performing
  or taking part in female circumcision would thus
  be punishable.
• Female circumcision is punishable in Denmark
  under section 245 of the Criminal Code and under
  section 246 under particularly aggravating
  circumstances.

4
How to work with drama and theatre with young
ethnic girls

• The idea of IFIIN
• To identify other ethnic young groups in Europe
• To build up the youth profile and create role
  models
• To develop new strategies to involve the youth in
  fighting against FGM
• To empower the young groups
• To tell them that they are the future parents, in
  that time they are very proud of themselves
• To treat them with respect, talk with them not at
  them.
• To involve those who use the service

5
Activities carried out in Denmark

• Maryam Mursal and her Danish group IFTIIN have
  performed
• at Gellerup Scenen in Århus,
• L-2006 Festival in Haderslev and in Odense,
• Vollsmose for an audience of app. 1.000 people
  all in all.
• In spring 2007, we performed in Copenhagen and to
  host the final conference in the IFT-I-IN project
  in Århus in June.
• We have carried out education for 8 women to
  become Agents of Change and we will start up
  with more education in spring 2007.

6
Activities carried out in Denmark ..Continue

• Fairly new empowerment tools such as
  Forum-theatre, drama, music and comics are used
  in order to reach the beneficiaries and the
  public in new ways.
• With help from professional artists, small
  theatre plays and other cultural performing will
  be developed based on these personal
  success-stories.

7
Activities

• Production of comic strips
• Establish and maintain the project website
• Invite partners to DK from The Netherlands and
  the UK in order to share experiences with them
  and to get new inspiration
• Building up a close co-operation with Danish and
  ethnic media has in order to market the campaign
  and our activities.

8
Our hope at this conference is

• FGM practice is unacceptable and must be
  eliminated throughout the world
• Understanding the necessity of educating mothers
  and parents to confront traditions and outdated
  practices to save the lives of their children and
  give them a better future
• Uniting ranks and fronts among those with the
  medical, psychological, social and cultural
  expertise to deal with the FGM problem, thereby
  applying a coordinated overall solution.
• Finding new ways and methods to co-operate with
  the religious leaders and scholars
• Arranging and organizing a religious conference
  to promote dialogue
• Communication, networking and mutual respect is
  the way forward

9
Partners

• We have organized a Daphne project funded by
  grants from The European Union, and are currently
  collaborating with Federation of Somali
  Associations in Nederland, Amsterdam and Somali
  Brawaneese Community of Manchester, UK.

10

• Lets join forces in the struggle against FGM !!!

11
Denmark

• Recommendations
• To make a follow up this project
• White book for the educational content plan to be
  published and distribute to the others
• Idea to use these Agent of Change to arrange
  meetings and seminars in the future
• The facts, figures and background used in the
  training materials
• Drama, Forum-Theatre and artists are important to
  be continued.