Pierette Herzberger-Fofana
The Erlanger Nachrichten (newspaper of Erlangen, Germany) is reporting that one of their city officials is speaking today before the UN Commission on the Status of Women on the subject of female circumcision. She is Pierette Herzberger-Fofana of the Erlangen City Council (Green Party).
http://www.nordbayern.de/region/erlangen/stadtratin-spricht-vor-vereinten-nationen-1.2732469
Herzberger-Fofana ( a native of Senegal who was educated in France and Germany) is active in Germany on the issue of ritual circumscision of women. She estimates that some 4,000 women in Germany are affected by this practice. In many cases, immigrants send their daughters back to their homelands to have this procedure carried out. It is a problem that affects Germany and other European countries. According to the article, she has also spoken in front of the German Bundestag in Berlin (parliament) and taken the position that women who are victims of this practice should be given political asylum.
Most of the background information on Herzberger-Fofana is in French or German. Here is a bio of her in French.
http://www.afrology.com/litter/bioherzf.html
Forgive me my indulgence, but I consider Erlangen my second home. I spent my military service there 1966-68 and have written a book on the city's history (Erlangen-An American's History of a German Town). Thus, I feel a sense of pride. I also welcome the fact that the UN is paying attention to this subject, which is barbaric and a violation of human rights.
Go get'em Pierette!
Speaking before the UN Commission on the Status of Women doesn't mean that the UN is paying attention to this subject.
ReplyDeleteAmong the members of this Commission are Iran, Iraq, Rwanda, Bangladesh,and other countries not known for their respect for women. I don't know the values of all 45 countries on the Commission but if it works as well as the other UN projects, I doubt if anything of significance will happen.
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