Did you know that ICS Florence will offer a range of free workshops? These are run on a first come first served basis and no tickets are sold. We highlight one of the ICS Committee workshops to give you a taste of what is available. However don't delay, other workshops are being sold out, so get planning and book your educational programme.
The Ethics of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Other Urogenital Interventions
WORKSHOP 28
WEDNESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2017
16:30 - 18:00
HALL G
FGM or Female Genital Mutilation refers to the practise of excising all or part of the female external genitalia. It is usually performed on young girls. The origin of the practice is unclear, but it predates Islam and is variously justified as a means of safeguarding virginity, prevention of rape, ensuring fidelity, providing a more aesthetic genital appearance or establishing ethnic identity. Regardless of the rationalisation, the procedure is widely condemned by the WHO and other organisations and governments worldwide because of the potential for serious complications and the lifelong physical and mental sequelae.
As in other countries, the USA has passed a law criminalising FGM. However, that did not stop two doctors and a complicit spouse from performing FGM on female children ranging from 6 to 8 years of age. Not only was it surprising that the practice of FGM was going on in the US, but also that there are 500,000 women in the US who have been victims of FGM or are at risk of having it done to them! Thus, this ancient custom persists even in advanced countries.
Clearly, FGM is a timely topic for ethical discussion and therefore has been chosen by the ICS Ethics Committee to be the focal point of this year’s workshop in Florence. It is entitled “The Ethics of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Other Urogenital Interventions” and will address the ethics of several types of genital alteration. As with last year’s event, the advanced workshop presented in Florence will be interactive, with attendees and moderators debating the ethical aspects of such practices. Please join Cristina Naranjo Ortiz (SP), Ruwan Fernando (UK) and Tamara Dickinson (USA) as they frame the ethical issues and examine them from all perspectives – medical, moral and legal.
Please Join Us in Florence and add your voice to the discussion.
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