IRELAND'S INCREASINGLY diverse population presents new challenges in the area of sexual and reproductive health, with the risks posed by the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) of particular concern, the Irish Family Planning Association has said.
At the launch of the annual report published by the UN's Population Fund, IFPA chairwoman Maeve O'Sullivan said policymakers, health service providers and educators needed to become more aware and sensitive to sexual and reproductive issues faced by migrant women and girls.
"Women attending our services from Africa have limited knowledge of contraception options," Ms O'Sullivan said. "Issues such as FGM and forced marriage are also on our radar because of our increasingly diverse client base."
It was estimated that 2,585 women and girls in Ireland had been subjected to genital mutilation. "Because of the sensitivities around this issue," she added, "it would be easiest to ignore the possibility of the practice taking place in Ireland. However, the health implications posed by FGM to women and girls are too grave to turn a blind eye to the practice."
Later this month, a Government-funded national plan of action to address genital mutilation in Ireland will be launched as part of a pan-European initiative.
The issue is dealt with at length in this year's Population Fund report, which examines how culture, tradition and beliefs affect population trends and outlines why culturally sensitive approaches are essential in promoting human rights and tackling gender inequalities.
According to the study, 60 per cent of the world's one billion poorest people are women and girls; 66 per cent of the 960 million adults around the world who cannot read are women and 70 per cent of children who do not go to school are girls.
The study also illustrates how deep-rooted cultural beliefs and practices help to sustain such inequalities.
Seán Hand of the Population Fund noted that in some countries, tradition often proved stronger than the law. "UNFPA has seen this in our work to end female genital mutilation and child marriage.
"In many countries, these practices are illegal and yet they persist. They persist because they are deeply rooted within the culture.
"If we want to make greater progress, we have to engage at a deeper level to facilitate change in the lives of individuals, families and communities. We call it being culturally sensitive . . .
"Cultural sensitivity and engagement do not mean acceptance of harmful traditional practices or a free pass for human rights abuses - far from it. Understanding cultural realities can reveal the most effective ways to challenge harmful practices and promote human rights," Mr Hand added. "One of the main messages of this report is that change cannot be imposed from the outside; to be lasting, change must come from within."
Lesotho's ambassador to Ireland Mannete Ramaili welcomed the focus on working within a cultural framework to address such issues, arguing that such an approach was long overdue.
