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The RAG against Female Genital Mutilation is an initiative of the Rotary Club Charleroi Val de Sambre

What is a R.A.G.?

A Rotarian Action Group or Friendly Action Group is an independent international association affiliated with Rotary International. It includes Rotarians, Rotaracans, peace graduates and non-Rotarians from around the world who have an interest, experience or expertise in the area of ​​action of the R.A.G.

The association helps local clubs and districts to mount large-scale actions in a particular area.

 

Two great goals from a R.A.G. :

  1. Create a competent structure in a fight.
  2. Propose a margin to follow to establish a similar structure elsewhere in the world and to provide financial support if necessary.

We all know and participate in R.A.G. fights. without knowing that these fights are in fact. The two most famous examples being the fights against polio and multiple sclerosis...

200 Mio

Rotary members or not, medical experts or volunteers provide you with their help and expertise

Partner Rotary Clubs from 3 zones spread across several continents

  1. RC Charleroi Val de Sambre - Belgium
  2. RC Atessa Val di SANgro - Italy
  3. RC Blagnac - France
  4. RC Acesita (Timoteo MG) - Brazil
  5. RC Pimpri (Pune) - India

The age at which they are practiced varies. Recent reports suggest that the age at which the procedure is performed on girls from 0 to 15 years old.

According to UNICEF, at least 200 million girls and women currently living in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia have undergone some form of genital mutilation: clitoridectomy, excision or infibulation.

RaGaFeGem

Rotary  Action Group

Rotary Cub Charleroi Val de Sambre

On the initiative of the RAG, the club supports you and guides you in all the local actions you wish to carry out.

Visit the Website : www.rcvds.be

District 2150

Supported by its International Action Commission to facilitate contacts and Grant requests initiated throughout the world.

Rotary D2150

Rotary International

Support RAGs all over the world:

RAG - Rotary

How can we help you ?

Beyond the medical aspect, we must also fight on the social and cultural side.

It is important to emphasize that a mutilated woman is often hidden, especially in cases of rape.

She must then be reintegrated into her community.

Are you a Rotarian?

We can provide support when:

  • awareness campaigns
  • for organizing conferences
  • local or district actions
  • the creation of a District Grant or a Global Grant

Are you a healthcare professional?

Contact us to receive:

  • flyers available to your patients and their families
  • putting you in contact with other practitioners
  • contact with victim support and assistance associations

Are you a field/social actor?

We can help you to raise awareness among young people in schools

Are you a victim?

If you are looking for help or support, contact us via our email: contact@ragafegem.org

OUR AMBITIONS

  1. Raise awareness among our Rotary contacts and create new international contacts.
  2. Create contacts with key players and try to help them.
  3. In collaboration with GAMS, set up a clinic in Dakar to reconstruct mutilated women.
  4. Train local health stakeholders in the recognition, management and treatment of female genital mutilation
  5. Provide expertise and assistance to all local clubs who request it.
  6. Promote their reintegration into social life.

Types of FGM

Type I, also called Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris.
Type II, also called excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora. The amount of tissue removed varies greatly from community to community.
Type III, also called infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a closure, achieved by cutting and repositioning the labia minora and/or labia majora. Infibulation can be performed with or without removal of the clitoris.
Type IV: all other harmful procedures performed on the female genitalia for non-therapeutic purposes, such as puncture, piercing, incision, scarification and cauterization.

Types I and II are the most common, but the situation varies depending on the country. Type III, infibulation, represents approximately 10% of FGM cases and is found mainly in Somalia, northern Sudan and Djibouti.

The consequences of female genital mutilation

Their effects depend on several factors, such as the type of FGM practiced, the experience of the practitioners, the hygienic conditions in which the procedure is carried out, the resistance and the general state of health of the person who undergoes the procedure.

Complications can occur regardless of the type of FGM, but they are particularly common with infibulation.

Some complications may occur immediately: severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, tetanus or bacterial infection, urinary retention, genital ulceration and damage to adjacent tissues, wound infection, urinary tract infection, fever and sepsis. In cases of severe bleeding or infection, female genital mutilation can lead to death.

Long-term consequences include anemia, the formation of cysts and abscesses, the formation of keloid scars, damage to the urethra leading to urinary incontinence, dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse), sexual dysfunction, hypersensitivity of the genital area, increased risk of HIV transmission and complications during childbirth, as well as psychological repercussions.

Players

In general, FGM is performed by community elders (primarily, but not exclusively, women) designated to perform the procedure, or by traditional birth attendants.

In some communities, FGM may be practiced by healers, male barbers, members of secret societies, herbalists, or sometimes by a female relative.

... and the surroundings

FGM can have lasting impacts on the women and girls who undergo it. The psychological stress felt by little girls who undergo FGM can cause behavioral problems which are closely linked to a loss of trust in those around them.

In the longer term, women can suffer from depression and anxiety.

Sexual dysfunction can also cause conflict within a couple or lead to divorce.

Testimonials

Female genital mutilation is a violation of girls' human rights
and women.
Unicef

In my village, there is a girl younger than me who was not circumcised because I raised the issue with her parents. I told them how painful and traumatized the operation had been and how I had come to no longer trust my own parents. They decided they wanted to spare their daughter this.

A 15 year old ggirl

A student was regularly absent from my class; I initially thought it was due to a lack of preparation or study for class work.
I finally realized that her periods were so painful that it was impossible for her to come to school.

A teacher

“I will never inflict FGM/C on my child if it is a girl and I will explain to her the consequences of this practice from a very young age. »

A 15 year old girl

My two sisters, my mother and I visited my family back home. I thought we were going on vacation. A little later, we were told that we were going to be infibulated.

The day before the operation, another girl was infibulated and she died because of the operation. We were terrified and did not want to suffer the same fate. But our parents told us it was an obligation, so we went.

We defended ourselves, because we really believed that we were going to die, the pain was so great. A woman puts her hand over your mouth to stop you from screaming, two women hold your chest and two others hold your legs. After the infibulation, our legs were tied with rope and it was as if we had to learn to walk again. We had to try to go to the bathroom. If you couldn't urinate within the next 10 days, there was a problem.

You could say we were lucky. We gradually recovered and survived, not like the other girl. But the memories and the pain never completely go away. » – Zainab, infibulated at age 8 (Source: WHO)

Anonymous

MEMBRES

Phot du Président Jean-Claude Derzelle

Jean-Claude Derzelle

President

Cédric Van Eeckout Président du Ragafegem

Cédric Van Eeckhoudt

Vice President & Technical Expert

Grégory Van der Steen Trésorier du Ragafegem

Grégory Van der Steen

Treasurer

Nancy Maréchal Secretary du Ragafegem

Nancy Maréchal

Secretary

Freddy Willem Secretary  du Ragafegem

Freddy Willem

Secretary

Christel Buyens Public relations du Ragafegem
~

Christel Buyens

Public relations

Françoise Jacobs visibility & image du Ragafegem

Françoise Jacobs

Visibility, image

Raphaël Jonard Webmaster du Ragafegem

Raphaël Jonard

Webmaster

Your support is important

If you would like to help us, provide your expertise or simply be a donor member, we thank you for registering via the contact form at the bottom of the page.

We will contact you soon.

If you would like to sponsor our actions or help us financially, click on the button below.

Frequently Asked Questioins

If you need assistance, feel free to reach out to RAGAFEGEM. We are here to provide the necessary support to overcome this challenging experience and start the healing process.

Contact

If you would like to contact us, please use the contact form below

Adress

68, rue de l'Eglise
6032 Mont-sur-Marchienne
Belgium

Phone Us

0475/533.784