FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION PART OF NATIONAL ACTION

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001065 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR G/IWI, DRL, NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI KWMN PHUM MU SUBJECT: FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION PART OF NATIONAL ACTION PLAN REF: A. 05 MUSCAT 1154 ¶B. 05 MUSCAT 402 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. Troubling polling data on the acceptability of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Oman in a 2001 questionnaire for 16-18 year olds led to a 2004 survey of Omani women by the Ministry of Health. The surprising results revealed that more than half of women polled had undergone FGM. UNICEF's country strategy for 2007-2010, drafted in collaboration with the Omani government, now addresses FGM alongside traffic accidents and child abuse in a program devoted to "preventable injuries." End summary. -------------- -------------- Social Acceptance of FGM Points to High Prevalence -------------- -------------- ¶2. According to a 2001 Ministry of Health survey of over 3,500 16-18 year-olds, almost 80% of those polled believe that female genital mutilation (FGM) is "necessary and important," with 46.3% of males and 45.1% of females strongly agreeing with the practice. Struck by those survey findings, the Ministry of Health subsequently looked upon FGM as a "serious situation" that "needs to be given particular attention." ¶3. According to an April 2006 UNICEF report, however, Omani statistics generated in a 2004 survey revealed that 85% of females of all ages accept FGM as a practice, with 53% having had the procedure done themselves (46% had partial cutting, 8% had the most severe form of FGM, and 46% had no form of FGM). FGM in Oman is most typically performed on girls ranging in age from 3 months to 9 years. According to a doctor working in one of Oman's regional hospitals, 60% of mothers giving birth under her care had had the procedure done. Omani hospitals are prohibited from performing the procedure, but private clinics in the UAE and individuals known as Khatanahs (untrained traditional midwives) may serve as alternatives. There is no law actually banning the practice of FGM in Oman. -------------- Taking Some Action -------------- ¶4. In 2004, UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Development organized the first national workshop on child abuse and neglect, which addressed the issue of FGM. The Sultanate has allowed public discussion of the topic in media (ref A),and looks to address it as a social health problem under the government's Seventh Five-Year Plan for 2006-2010. UNICEF's Oman country program entitled "Protection and Participation of Children and Adolescents" will include FGM along with road traffic fatalities (the leading cause of fatality for Omanis aged 1-18) as a focus of "preventable injuries." -------------- Comment -------------- ¶5. Underscoring just how little the practice of FGM has been investigated in the Sultanate, opinions among contacts vary widely about this topic, with many Omanis resolutely believing that the practice is unknown to the Sultanate, while others consider it widespread. It is, therefore, a positive sign that UNICEF's country plan, worked out in conjunction with the Ministries of Health, Social Development, Education, National Economy and Foreign Affairs, will now put the topic formally on the table. The action plan, however, does not go into detail on specific steps, regulatory or otherwise, that the government might take. End Comment. GRAPPO