burke25..
Thank you for your interesting question. Since you had several points
you are looking for, I will adress each one.
-What is Iran's poistion on Female Genital Mutilation?
I found very little evidence that FGM is supported in Iran. In a
policy letter from the American Pediatric Society stated:
"FGM has been documented in individuals from many religions, including
Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Some proponents of the practice claim
that it is required by the Islamic faith. However, scholars and
theologians of Islam state that female circumcision is not prescribed
by their religious doctrine, emphasizing that the procedure is almost
never performed in many major Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia,
Iran, and Pakistan."
American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Letter
http://www.aap.org/policy/re9749.html
From Religious Tolerance.org
"FGM has spread to countries in or near Africa (e.g. Egypt) which are
Muslim. But FGM is rare or nonexistent in many other Muslim countries.
Examples are Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. Also, It is not
done in the Maghreb countries of Northwest Africa."
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
In Africa, The Middle East & Far East
http://www.religioustolerance.org/fem_cirm.htm
From "Proceedings of the Female Genital Mutilation expert meeting,
November 1998":
"2. Where does female genital cutting take place?
The practice of FGC has been traced back to the cultures of Pharaoh
Egypt and Phoenicia, but its precise origins remain unclear. Nowadays,
some forms of FGC have been observed to take place in more than 30
countries, including developing and industrialised nations.
Until the early 1990s, few large-scale surveys had investigated the
prevalence of FGC [2]. Based on the evidence available, the greatest
incidence is observed in African countries, although the custom is not
seen in North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
Some report that FGC is not practised in Arab countries that adhere
strictly to Islamic law such as Iran, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia and
Syria; others note that the procedure has been seen there, but has
never been studied to determine its extent. It is seen incidentally in
other countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman and the
United Arab Emirates and has been reported among indigenous groups in
Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru."
http://www.icrh.org/areas/fgm/Proceedings_FGM_expert_meeting_Nov98/FGMexpertmeeting98-05.html
-What is Iran's position on Female Illiteracy?
Interestingly enough, literacy among the female population in Iran is
a key priority.
"In last couple of decades, one of the major issues in the Islamic
Republic of Iran has turned to women’s educates and several prominent
principles of women’s education have been approved by government."
Female Education In Iran
http://www.telecom.net.et/~iranet/femed.html
The above referenced resource has several charts and figures showing
how the literacy rate among women has increased over the years as well
as some other great information on the education of women in Iran.
"Algeria and Iran have established boarding schools free of charge in
rural and nomadic areas, and have made special efforts to reach out to
girls."
Education and Training of Women
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/session/presskit/fs2.htm
-What is Iran's position on Abortion of the Female Fetus in Asia?
I did not find any reference to Iran's policy on abortion of a female
fetus. It does not appear to be practiced regularly in Iran and the
government does not have a policy regarding the practice. As a matter
of fact, the worldwide ratio of male births to female births is about
105:100. In Iran, the number is even with the worldwide average. In
areas such as China, where charges of infantcide and female fetus
abortion have been leveled, the number is about 118:100.
International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region
The Sanger File - Gender and Terrorism
http://www.ippfwhr.org/news/sanger/sangerfile5.htm
I hope the above information proves to be helpful. I have included,
below, additional links on worldwide human rights for women that I
also hope will be of value as you prepare for your debate. Thank you
again for your question and if you need any additional clarification,
please let me know.
Regards,
-THV
Search Strategy:
iran ratio girls boys born
women's rights around the world iran
women's rights iran
female genital mutilation iran
female illiteracy in Iran
"Abortion of female fetuses" iran
Additional Information:
Human Rights Watch - Women's Human Rights
http://www.hrw.org/women/index.php
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
http://www.unchs.org/habrdd/conditions/socentasia/iran.htm
Association of Iranian Women
http://www.hrw.org/women/index.php |
