Transcript Rubrik Arial fet 40

The state of FGM in Sweden today
• How is the work against FGM organised?
• What happens in Sweden today with FGM?
• What kind of research is going on?
• Challenges for FGM in Sweden today
Owolabi Bjälkander
Utredare
Individ- och Familjeenheten
[email protected]
Arbete: 075 247 3727
Mobil: 0732 00 75 34
My background
• Owolabi Bjälkander, Sierra Leone, West Africa
• Swedish National Action Plan against FGM (2003 – 2005)
• Follow Up Activity – June 2008 – Sept 2009
• Technical Consultant for EURONET
• PhD Candidate at Karolinska Institutet
Overview of FGM in Sweden
Law ( 1928; 1999)
Government implementation by Socialstyrelsen
Prosecutions and jail sentences: 1 father, 1 mother
RISK – state recognised FGM NGO
Prevalence 16,000 (2002); ≈ 20,000 (2008)
Follow Up Activity by Socialstyrelsen
FGM work in Sweden
pre National Action Plan (NAP)
• (Somali) Immigrants in Sweden 1990s – Type III
• 1993 – 1996 - Göteborg’s Immigration Section
• Socialstyrelsen sponsored
• Project “Health care and support measures for women and
children – the prevention of FGM”
• Goal of project – to prevent FGM and provide care
Pre NAP Activities
• 1998 – 2001 Government Assignment to Socialstyrelsen
• Goals of the project were to
– use methods from Göteborg project to prevent FGM
• Other players - kommuner, länsstyrelser,
Folkhälsoinstitutet & Integrationsverket
1998 – 2001 Project Outcomes
•FGM justified by community using religious reasons
•(Lack of clear statements from (affected African) religious leaders against
practice)
•Need to inform influential, recognised community leaders
about FGM
•Need for educational and information material on FGM
•2002 - National Conference on Prevention
•(Minister for Children and the Family from Norway attended amongst others )
IDIL Project
•Implemented by RISK
•Trained women from Somalia, Ethiopia & Eritrea on FGM
legislation, care & support
•Women talk about FGM in own language to own people
•Project funded by Socialstyrelsen
National Action Plan against FGM 2003 – 2005
Goal - eliminate FGM in Sweden
Disseminate information and knowledge
Increase skills & develop competence
Booklet “FGM of Women” in Arabic, English, Amharic,
Somali, Tigranya, Swedish
Material developed for Police & Prosecution Service
Personnel in schools, social services, health care
Implemented by Socialstyrelsen
Other NAP Activities
• Knowledge Bank of Best Practices
• Regional Conferences
• Work with Religious Leaders
• Trip to the Horn of Africa
FGM in Sweden today
• Local national action plans (3)
• Frustration by activists – less interest in FGM
• State authorities’ role in preventive work
•
(Migrationsverket, Skolverket, Familjecentralen)
• Care - one clinic in all of Sweden
• Prevention - children and young people – not happening yet
FGM in Sweden today
• Asylum on FGM grounds – Dec 2008
• Certificate of FGM status by health care services
• Expectations of FGM community on Socialstyrelsen
• FGM in Kurdish communities in Sweden
• Socialstyrelsen’s follow up activity of National Action Plan
Follow Up Activities of the National Action Plan
• Updating the Knowledge Bank
• Religious Leaders – Declaration
• International developments on FGM and Sweden
• European level work – Nordic countries initiative
• Swedish National Network against FGM
Research on FGM in Sweden
• Urinary leakage and complications of FGM amongst Somali Girls –
Nina Ismail (1999)
• Sexuality and FGM in Sweden – Sara Johnsdotter
•
(http://www.mah.se/templates/Page____15522.aspx)
• Female genital mutilation among antenatal care and contraceptive
advice attendees in Sweden – Lars Almroth, Martina Francke, Helena
Litorp (2008)
• The politics of genital modifications – Sara Johnsdotter, Birgitta Essen
(2009 – 2011)
• Being Pregnant in Sweden – Circumcised African Women’s Meeting
with the Swedish Maternity Care – Liselott Dellenborg (2009)
• (http://www.globalstudies.gu.se/anthropology/om_oss/personal/dellenborg/)
Challenges facing FGM in Sweden today
• Work to prevent FGM
• Engagement with practising communities for prevention
• Continual training for key professional groups
• Integrating FGM - into VAW and children
• Reaching young people – inform and empower girls to
refuse