A Panel Discussion on the Realities of FGM/Cutting in Canada
Dear End FGM Canada Network Supporters,
The END FGM Canada Network is proud to present our free, one-hour webinar “Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) - A Canadian Issue Too” A Panel Discussion on the Realities of FGM/Cutting in Canada”. This webinar will be held on October 11th, marking the 10th anniversary of the international Day of the Girl (IDG), with this year’s theme examining the rights and futures of girls worldwide.
Our webinar will consider this theme by providing insights into FGM/C, examining how the issue presents within a Canadian context and how teachers, child protection specialists, and frontline workers can advocate for girls by standing up to the practice of FGM/C present in many communities across Canada.
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a procedure performed on a woman or girl to alter or injure her genitalia for non-medical reasons. It causes severe health problems and is a violation of girls’ and women’s fundamental human rights. It is estimated that more than 100 000 survivors of FGM/C reside in Canada, with thousands at risk of having the procedure.
FGM/C continues to be a reality for girls and children across Canada. FGM/C is a centuries-old practice in more than 90+ countries; Canada has immigrants from more than 50+ countires where FGM/C is performed. The End FGM Canada Network was founded to advocate for impacted women, girls, and non-binary people in the face of this reality.
This issue is of particular concern in the context of “vacation cutting”, in which children and young adults are taken abroad to have the FGM/C procedure performed. This webinar will review lessons on recognizing the warning signs of a possible “vacation cutting” circumstance and how to help a) prevent this human rights abuse; or b) help the affected individual seek support.
This webinar will examine the issue of FGM/C in Canada through professional and personal insights in the form of a 40-minute panel discussion followed by a 20-minute question & answer session. Presenters will include:
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Dr. Angela Deane, an obstetrician gynecologist with a special interest in caring for survivors of FGM/C and restorative clitoral surgery. She is working to improve the medical care of FGM/C survivors through education and multidisciplinary collaboration within the healthcare system.
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Leeha Aheer, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the constituency of Chestermere-Rocky and former Albertan Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women who is a champion for the campaign to end FGM/C in Canada.
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Maryan Sheikh Abdulcadir, FGM/C survivor and human rights campaigner who has worked to combat gender-based violence in Kenya. In 2019, Maryam came to Canada to save her daughter from female genital mutilation/cutting. She is an FGM/C survivor who uses her story to help end this human rights abuse.
Details:
Date: October 11th, 2022
Time: 1 pm EST for 1 hour (40 minute panel, 20 minute Q & A period)
Place: Zoom
Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/
Admission: Free
Audience: General public, teachers, child protection specialists, medical professionals, human rights organizations & frontline service providers
Languages: English and French