Name:

Ms Beatrice Chelangat

 

Designation

Organization/Institution

Country

Short Biography

Mrs Beatrice Chelangat is a highly active social service promoter, specially in regard to reproductive education of women and the related health problems. She has attended a large number of conferences on women’s genital problems, particularly among Muslim ladies, in Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, USA and various other countries. As a result of her campaigns women have become aware of their personal rights. She has been educating women about their rights over their own bodies. An awakening has therefore been created among women that no outside interference should be there in fiddling with their body parts. However she has maintained a fine balance between women’s health rights and cultural values.

Speech

“Human Rights (Including Children’s And Woman’s Rights); Achieving Equality Its Justice”

Case study

The REACH innovative Approach to Female Genital Cutting (FGC/FGM) elimination that has made equality and justice a reality.

FGC has for long been a major source and cause of the violation of children and women rights in Africa and other countries in the world. This practice involves cutting of whole or parts of the female genitalia (clitoris, parts of the labia majora and labia minora). This is a deep root cultural practice and is cherished by those who practice it either ignorantly or knowingly in the name of our culture.

This practice has a number of effects ranging from pain or excessive loss of blood which can cause aneamia / or even death, contraction HIV/AIDS, scar formation / growth of keliods which as age advances effect the woman’s sexual life and difficulty in time of delivery, young girls after undergoing FGC immediately go for marriage leading to increased rate of school dropouts, child mothers and therefore increase the burden to the poor nations in terms of high population growth, high dependency burden, high infant mortality and high maternal mortality.

Reproductive Educative And Community Health[REACH] is a Community based Programme established in 1996 with the support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during it’s 3^rd GOU/UNFPA Programme based in Kapchorwa (Eastern Uganda on the slopes of Mt. Elgon)

UNFPA has since supported this initiative being one of the key fruits of resolution adopted at the ICPD in Cairo (1994)

Female Genital Cutting [FGC] has created many health problems, both immediate and long-term effects that include; continuous urination and to death in cases of excess bleeding and through contraction of HIV/AIDS. Among others it has socially left many families improvised because of the lavish way the resources are used at such a time.

The following strategies have been used in the last 9 years to eliminate FGC:

·       Working together with Sabiny Elders Association (SEA) who won the 1998 United Nations Award for sensitizing the community on the harmful aspects of FGC being the custodians of the culture in the target Community.

·       TBAs in a bid to improve their delivery skills have been trained to be changed agents at grassroots with messages on quality Reproductive Health, children rights and women rights.

·       Initiation of Annual Culture Day now institutionalized and honored nationally. It’s the Day set aside to promote valuable cultural practices and discard harmful ones. It is officiated by key National and International leaders and in 1998 H. E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was the Chief Guest and 2004 Ex. H. E Daniel Arapmoi was invited. 

·       In 2003, we brought on board the beneficiaries of FGC these are the mentors of girls and women, mutilators, elders, religious leaders and trained them as advocates. More than 50 % of Mutilators and Mentors have vowed never to mentor or cut any child or woman and have signed voluntary commitment forms to this effect.

A lot of success has been registered.  Out of the eligible FGC candidates of approx 10,000= only 600 underwent FGC in the last 2002 December cutting season. The next cutting season is now 2004 December.  We are optimistic that the number is going to drop by more than 50% of 2002 season.

Our main challenge is clear law in place so that culprit can face the law. Every Government ratifying the Maputo Protocol and implementing it accordingly will make this possible.

In conclusion; I believe in an individual/ an idea being a key in causing a change in achieving equality and justice for all those who have suffered from inequality and in Justice in our Communities.