Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children

The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, commonly known as the Inter-African Committee or IAC, is an African nongovernmental organization focused on changing social values and public awareness around traditional practices that harm the health and rights of women and children. Its central concern is the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM), alongside action on other practices associated with harmful childbirth conditions, inadequate nutrition, early marriage, and related risks to maternal and child health. The organization began in 1984 following a seminar in Dakar, Senegal. Its initial agenda was broader than FGM alone: it addressed harmful practices connected with childbirth, food and nutrition, and early marriage, while also promoting practices regarded as beneficial, including breastfeeding and baby massage. Over time, the campaign against FGM became the IAC's principal area of work. The committee's approach has emphasized education, community engagement, advocacy, and the transformation of social norms rather than relying exclusively on legal prohibition. A significant terminology decision occurred in 1990, when the IAC adopted the expression "female genital mutilation" in place of "female circumcision." The change reflected the organization's effort to describe the physical and health consequences of the practice more accurately and to strengthen public discussion of it as a rights and health issue. Education has been identified as the main instrument in the IAC's strategy for ending FGM, with advocacy directed at communities, governments, health actors, and other civil-society organizations. The IAC is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its network has included 32 national committees in 28 African countries, together with a liaison office in Geneva and 15 affiliated organizations in Europe, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. Through this network, the organization has supported awareness-building and policy advocacy across multiple national settings. It has been associated with lobbying efforts concerning legislative change on FGM in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo, although such legal developments also involved other nongovernmental organizations and public institutions. The organization has been led by African women activists and advocates from different national settings. Berhane Ras Work of Ethiopia was its founding president. Isatou Touray of The Gambia served as secretary-general from 2009 to 2014. The reference material identifies Mariam Lamizana of Burkina Faso as president, Safia Elmi Djibril as vice-president representing Kadra Mahamoud Haid, the First Lady of Djibouti, and Assibi Napoe of Togo as secretary-general. The IAC's work places it within the wider African and international movement addressing FGM, women's health, children's welfare, gender equality, and implementation of related human-rights commitments.

The IAC originated at a 1984 seminar in Dakar, Senegal, convened around the health consequences of traditional practices affecting women and children. Its founding agenda included female genital mutilation, harmful practices associated with childbirth, nutrition and food, and early marriage. It also sought to encourage practices considered beneficial to maternal and child welfare, such as breastfeeding and baby massage. Although the committee retained this broad health and social-development mandate, opposition to female genital mutilation became its primary focus. The IAC's work has been grounded in the view that lasting change requires shifts in social values and community expectations. Its principal methods have therefore included education, consciousness-raising, advocacy, and engagement with national and local actors. A 1995 publication described education as the central element of its strategy for ending FGM. In 1990, the organization adopted the term "female genital mutilation" rather than "female circumcision." This terminology marked an important point in its advocacy history, framing the practice in relation to harm, health, and women's rights. The committee has worked alongside other nongovernmental and public organizations to encourage legal and policy responses. Its lobbying has been associated with legislative change concerning FGM in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo, while the available reference does not attribute those changes exclusively to the IAC. The organization developed a transnational structure headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its network has been described as comprising 32 national committees in 28 African countries. It has also maintained a liaison office in Geneva and 15 affiliates in Europe, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. This structure has allowed the committee to connect community-level education and national advocacy with wider international networks concerned with women's health, children's rights, gender equality, and the eradication of FGM. Berhane Ras Work, an Ethiopian feminist, was the organization's founding president. Isatou Touray served as secretary-general between 2009 and 2014. The reference material identifies Mariam Lamizana of Burkina Faso as president, Safia Elmi Djibril as vice-president representing Kadra Mahamoud Haid of Djibouti, and Assibi Napoe of Togo as secretary-general. The IAC remains an advocacy and education organization rather than a commercial product brand, with its public identity defined by its pan-African network and its campaign against harmful traditional practices.

• 2009

  Isatou Touray becomes secretary-general

  [1]Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Childrenen.wikipedia.org

  Isatou Touray began a term as secretary-general that continued through 2014.

• 1995

  Education identified as the principal elimination strategy

  [1]Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Childrenen.wikipedia.org

  A publication associated with the organization described education as the main focus of its strategy for eliminating FGM.

• 1990

  Adoption of the term female genital mutilation

  [1]Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Childrenen.wikipedia.org

  The IAC adopted the term "female genital mutilation" instead of "female circumcision" as part of its advocacy and awareness work.

• 1984

  Founding seminar in Dakar

  [1]Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Childrenen.wikipedia.org

  The organization began at a Dakar seminar addressing traditional practices affecting the health of women and children, including FGM, harmful childbirth practices, nutrition, food, and early marriage.

A pan-African civil-society network using education, advocacy, and community-based social change to oppose female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices while encouraging beneficial practices affecting maternal and child health.

• Advocacy and public education

  Female genital mutilation education and awareness

  The IAC's principal program area is education and consciousness-raising intended to change social values surrounding female genital mutilation. Activities are directed toward communities and other stakeholders, presenting the practice as a health, rights, and social-norm issue and supporting broader efforts to end it.

• Policy advocacy · 1984

  Harmful traditional practices advocacy

  The organization addresses traditional practices affecting women and children beyond FGM, including harmful conditions related to childbirth, nutrition and food, and early marriage. Its work combines awareness-building with engagement intended to encourage institutional and legislative responses.

• Civil-society network

  National committee network

  The IAC operates through national committees and international affiliates. The cited reference describes 32 national committees in 28 African countries, a Geneva liaison office, and 15 affiliates in several regions outside Africa.

• 1984Campaign against harmful traditional practices

  Africa

  The IAC's founding agenda addressed FGM and other practices affecting childbirth, nutrition, food, early marriage, and child health, while also promoting beneficial practices such as breastfeeding and baby massage.

  Outcome. The campaign developed into a long-term pan-African program, with FGM becoming the organization's principal focus.

  Source
• Female genital mutilation elimination advocacy

  Africa

  The IAC has used education, public awareness, community engagement, and lobbying to challenge FGM and promote changes in social values and public policy.

  Outcome. The organization has been associated with legislative changes in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, and Togo, alongside the work of other NGOs and institutions.

  Source

• 1990

  Adoption of the term female genital mutilationStrategy

  Background

  The organization was seeking to describe and oppose a practice previously referred to as female circumcision.

  Action taken

  The IAC adopted the term "female genital mutilation" for its advocacy and public-awareness work.

  Aftermath

  The terminology reinforced the organization's framing of the practice as harmful to health and rights and became part of its wider elimination strategy.

  Source

1. 1Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Childrenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Inter-African Committee official websiteiac-ciaf.net