Forum and Fashion Show to promote awareness of Female Genital Mutilation

Published: Thursday, May 12, 2011

Please come and join us as we take part in a campaign and Fashion Show to promote awareness of Female Genital Mutilation by United Youth of Ireland, Colours United and Style Forum .

It will take place at 7:00 pm on 27th of May 2011. A Conference will begin at 7:00 pm and will be followed with an international fashion show at 8 p.m. in the Gresham Hotel, 23 Upper O'Connell St. Dublin 1.

The event is being organised in order to raise awareness of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, which according to the World Health Organization affects the lives of an estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide. In Ireland, FGM is a serious concern for the protection of children, as the most common age when FGM is performed is between four and ten years but it can cause grave health complications for women in later life too.

The Department of Health and Children have published the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Bill 2011 and the Bill is on the order paper for Seanad Eireann but more needs to be done to if this brutal practice is to be criminalised in Ireland. This evening will be an opportunity to learn more about the issues surrounding FGM and developments nationally and internationally.

• The speakers for the forum section of the evening are as follows:
• Barney Shiels, UNICEF Ireland
• Joe Costello T.D.
• Laya Huessein, FGM campaigner and co-founder of Daughters of Eve
• Dr. Shaheed

The information section of the evening will be followed by a questions and answers session.

If you require any further information contact us at fgmfashionshow@gmail.com or call Ifrah Ahmed, Annette Duffy or Cynthia Baloula on 085 8443007.

Come and join us for what promises to be an interesting and exciting evening.