Sudan Wins two Awards in A regional Competition for the CAWATAR Centre.
Report: Haffiya Elyas
Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR )
and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in the Arab World Region organized a video competition for the benefit of men and girls on fighting female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)
The CAWTAR Center has traditionally held such competitions annually to raise awareness of the seriousness of this harmful practice to the health of girls.
The prizes went to three winners out of seventeen video tapes from Tunisia, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Djibouti, Syria and Indonesia.
A video clip from Egypt and two others from Sudan won prizes in the video competition for men and young men, organized by the CAWATAR Center and the International Planned Parenthood Federation – Arab World Region, on “Combating Female Genital Mutilation.”
The first prize went to Egyptian Abdel Rahman Salah Akoush for the video clip “Kasra,” .
The second prize went to Shazli Mohammad Al-Amin, head of the Retaj Theater Group from Sudan, for the video “Circumcision is a Crime.” The third prize went to Amer Hassan Mohamed from Sudan for the video “Generation Salima,”
the video is a reportage that reflects the change brought about by (the Salima Campaign), which was launched by the National Council for Child Welfare in Sudan in cooperation with UNICEF to fighting female genital mutilation/cutting.
The young man, Chazli Mohammad, an actor, screenwriter and director who won the second prize from the Ritaj Theater Group, said: “They are a group of young people interested in humanitarian issues in general and women and children’s issues in particular . He pointed out that they presented nearly 200 awareness-raising works in such issues ( an interactive theatrical show in cities and rural areas).
Shazli said that CAWATAR Award is the third award for the Retaj Theater Group during this year, explaining that the first award was in March for the best content creators of the Faras application, out of 200 contestants, two months ago. They also won the United Nations Award in a competition entitled Share with Influence for Awareness the seriousness of addiction and drugs ranks first on Sudan level. And now with the regional award of the CAWATAR Center.
Dr. Asmaa Hassan Al-Toum from Sudan, communication expert, member of the National Committee for the Elimination offemale genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) , activist in women and children issues , member of the independent arbitration committee from Sudan, Mauritania and Yemen, expressed her great happiness of Sudan winning two awards for men , saying that the wining indicates raising awareness of the society, specially among men .
Dr. Asmaa praised CAWTAR for the great role in raising awareness against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)
Dr. Asmaa referred to the (Salima) campaign initiative launched by the National Council for Child Welfare in cooperation with UNICEF in 2008 to enhance the protection of( FGM )
to promote collective abandonment in societies.
It is worth noting the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) was created in 1993, in response to the desire expressed by a number of Arab stakeholders, including local, regional and international institutions as well as governments, to establish a center of academic research and field studies relating to women’s conditions.
In addition to collecting data, indicators and statistics on women’s economic, social and political conditions, CAWTAR significantly contributes to capacity building of stakeholders, enhancing networking, building strategic partnership and strengthening advocacy for women’s rights.
The main objectives are: to empower women and promote gender equality and to reduce gender gaps as a means of achieving sustainable development in the Arab Region.