US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI2759

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002759 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL, NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KOCI, KWMN, TC 
SUBJECT: FGM ON THE DECLINE IN UAE 
 
1. SUMMARY:  THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF FEMALE GENITAL 
MUTILATION (FGM) HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED AMONG UAE NATIONALS DUE 
TO THE SPREAD OF EDUCATION, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE HEALTH 
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FGM, AND GOVERNMENT INSTRUCTIONS TO 
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS PROHIBITING THE PRACTICE, ACCORDING TO 
HEALTH CARE AND WOMEN'S ADVOCATES.  CASES OF FGM PERSIST, 
MOSTLY AMONG SOMALI, OMANI, AND SUDANESE EXPATRIATES, WHOSE 
YOUNG DAUGHTERS UNDERGO THE PROCEDURE, MOSTLY IN RURAL AREAS. 
THE TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS OPERATE IN PRIVATE CLINICS AND IN 
HOMES.  THESE POPULATIONS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE SEEKING THE 
PROCEDURE IN THE UAE AS LONG AS THE UAE DOES NOT HAVE A LAW 
FORBIDDING FGM OR PUNISHING THE TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. THE PRACTICE OF FGM IS BECOMING LESS COMMON IN THE UAE, 
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO LAW ON THE BOOKS SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITING 
IT.  FGM'S DECLINE IS A RESULT OF THE SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL 
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, ACCORDING TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS 
AND WOMEN'S ADVOCATES.  WHEN FGM WAS AN ACCEPTABLE TRADITIONAL 
PRACTICE IN THE UAE, NO ONE SOUGHT TO PUNISH THOSE WHO 
PERFORMED IT.  EIGHT YEARS AGO, A SUDANESE FEMALE GYNECOLOGIST, 
DR. SAMIRA AL MANDILI, WAS DEPORTED BECAUSE SHE WAS PERFORMING 
FGM AND ABORTIONS IN ABU DHABI.  THERE IS STILL NO EFFORT TO 
CRIMINALIZE FGM IN THE UAE.  (NOTE: THE UAE IS SIGNATORY TO 
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS FGM, SUCH AS THE 
INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, THE 
CONVENTIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, AND THE CONVENTION ON 
THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN.) 
 
3. THE OFFICE OF FOREIGN RELATIONS AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH 
EXPLAINED TO POLITICAL ASSISTANT THAT FGM IS PROHIBITED IN THE 
UAE, EXCEPT WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO REPAIR A DEFORMITY, AND 
THAT FGM IS AN UNHEALTHY PRACTICE.  THE HEALTH MINISTRY HAS 
INSTRUCTED GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND PRIVATE CLINICS FOR AT 
LEAST THE LAST DECADE NOT TO PERFORM THE PROCEDURE.  HOWEVER, 
HOSPITALS STILL RECEIVE REQUESTS, ESPECIALLY FROM OMANI, 
SOMALI, AND SUDANESE EXPATRIATES, A FEMALE GOVERNMENT 
PEDIATRICIAN TOLD THE EMBASSY'S POLITICAL ASSISTANT.  SOME 
PRIVATE CLINICS IN THE NORTHERN EMIRATES CONTINUE TO PERFORM 
FGM DESPITE STRICT MINISTRY OF HEALTH INSTRUCTIONS FORBIDDING 
THIS.  FGM IS ALSO PRACTICED IN RURAL AREAS BY ELDERLY WOMEN OR 
MIDWIVES KNOWN TO THE SUDANESE, OMANIS, OR SOMALIS, SOURCES IN 
THE SUDANESE COMMUNITY AND THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR SAY. 
 
4. THE HEAD OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE AT THE GENERAL WOMEN'S 
UNION, A GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION, ASSURED US 
THAT FGM IS NO LONGER A CONCERN FOR UAE NATIONALS BECAUSE OF 
GREATER AWARENESS ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FGM. 
"IF IT WERE A CONCERN, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH WOULD HAVE 
APPROACHED US FOR ASSISTANCE TO HOLD AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS ON 
SUCH AN ISSUE," THE HEAD OF THE HEALTH COMMITTEE SAID.  OUR 
CONTACTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN THE UAE 
AND AT UNICEF'S REGIONAL OFFICE IN OMAN CONFIRMED THAT FGM IS 
NOT ON THEIR AGENDA, AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED BY THE WHO 
REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE IN CAIRO TO PURSUE THIS ISSUE OR 
COLLECT DATA.  (NOTE: WE HAVE REQUESTED FROM THE HEALTH 
MINISTRY CURRENT AND HISTORICAL STATISTICS ON CASES ADMITTED TO 
THE COUNTRY'S HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FGM, 
BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO DATE.) 
 
5. UAE UNIVERSITY POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, DR. FATEMA AL 
SAYEGH, SAID THAT FGM TYPES I, II OR IV (AS PER WHO 
DEFINITIONS) WERE PERFORMED WIDELY ON UAE NATIONALS IN THE 70'S 
AND 80'S, BUT THE PRACTICE DECREASED CONSIDERABLY AMONG THEM AS 
THEY BECAME BETTER EDUCATED AND MORE AWARE OF FGM'S LONG-TERM 
PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS.  THE VAST 
MAJORITY OF YOUNG UAE WOMEN ARE NOT VICTIMS OF ANY TYPE OF FGM, 
AL SAYEGH AND WOMEN'S ADVOCATES SAID. 
 
6. FGM (TYPE III OR "PHARAONIC") IS STILL DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE 
CULTURAL PRACTICES OF MANY EXPATRIATE NATIONALITIES RESIDING IN 
THE UAE, SUCH AS THE SUDANESE, OMANIS, AND SOMALIS.  SOME 
SUDANESE PREFER TO TAKE THEIR DAUGHTERS TO SUDAN TO PERFORM FGM 
BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FAMILY RITUALS.  FGM IS 
STILL PREVALENT IN RURAL AREAS OF THE UAE AND IS BEING 
PERFORMED AT HOMES OR PRIVATE CLINICS IN REMOTE AREAS, WHICH 
ARE FAR FROM MEDICAL MONITORING, AND WHERE THE MAJORITY OF LOW- 
SKILLED SUDANESE RESIDE, ACCORDING TO FIRST-HAND INFORMATION 
FROM AN EMBASSY SUDANESE LES. 
 
7. ALL OF OUR CONTACTS AGREED THAT FGM, WHEN PRACTICED, IS NOT 
A RELIGIOUS REQUIREMENT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE TWO HADITHS 
(SAYINGS BY PROPHET MOHAMMED) THAT DESCRIBE THE FIRST TYPE OF 
FGM AS PERMISSIBLE BUT NOT OBLIGATORY. 
 
8. COMMENT: WHILE WE HAVE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT ALL FORMS OF 
FGM ARE BEING PRACTICED IN THE UAE, THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS HAS 
DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL 
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN.  WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE MINISTRY OF 
HEALTH ON ANY DATA, AND WE WILL NOTE OUR FINDINGS ABOUT FGM IN 
THE NEXT ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT.  END COMMENT. 
 
SISON