Thursday 30 January 2014

Conference about FGM/C in Dakar



Last Monday, the 27th of January, I organized a conference at the Residence of the Netherlands Embassy in Dakar to present my preliminary research results. The title of my presentation was: "Compliance with the international human rights framework with regard to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Senegal."

In the past 4 months, I interviewed 54 people with many different backgrounds, for example Imams, doctors, parliamentarians, government representatives, academics, people working for international organizations (UNICEF, UNFPA, OHCHR, WHO, UN Women) and people working for NGOs. I invited all the people I interviewed to come to the conference where I would present my preliminary research results. After I send out my invitations, I immediately received many applications. I was positively surprised, because this was absolutely not typically Senegalese! ;-) The regular readers of my blog know how difficult it often was to make appointments and schedule meetings. However, last Friday I even had to rent 30 extra chairs because many people wanted to attend the conference!!

It was so nice to see almost everybody I interviewed again and I received compliments about the list of persons I interviewed. "How did you manage to speak to all these people in just 4 months?" was a frequently heard remark. :-) My presentation was followed by a lively discussion with interesting comments and suggestions. Our Ambassador Pieter Jan Kleiweg de Zwaan moderated this Q&A session. The interesting debate showed the sensitivity and complexity of the subject as well as the large variety of views, practices and interests of all the different actors working in the field. 

Further more, I was very honored that professor Gerry Macky attended my presentation. Gerry Macky is a very well-known professor from the United States and he is currently in Senegal for a few weeks for his research. He is a political theorist and developed the 'social norm theory'. In the past years, I have studied his work extensively and I have read all the academic articles he published. It was great to have the opportunity to meet him and to explain him what my own PhD research is about. 

I am ready! :-)
Preparations for the conference

Preparations for the reception
Presenting my research results! 
Me and my translator Amadou 
Molly Melching (Tostan) asking a question
It's time for a glass of wine! 
Chatting with prof. Gerry Macky.
Gerry Macky (US professor), Molly Melching (Tostan),
Marie Sabara (UNICEF), Daniela Luciani (UNICEF) & me! 
The days after the conference, I received many e-mails. People wrote me that they enjoyed the conference and asked for my power point presentation. They compelled me to keep them updated about my research and future publications. Even the High Commissioner of Human Rights forwarded my presentation to his whole staff, because he found it so interesting! I also had the chance to make another appointment with professor Gerry Macky, and to ask him questions about his theory. I do for example not fully agree with the role of religion in his theory, if you address the issue of FGM/C as a social norm. It was an great experience to discuss these issues with him and to have the chance to ask his opinion about my research results from the field. :-) 

Yesterday was unfortunately my last day at the Netherlands Embassy. I am really thankful that I had the opportunity to work at the Embassy for two days a week. My colleagues welcomed me so warmly. I enjoyed it very much and it contributed greatly to my PhD research. It was so nice to have an office (and airco!) for two days a week, instead of working from my apartment or in a cafe. Apart from that, they were great people and I really enjoyed the lunches, dinners and drinks we had in the past months! 

Yesterday we went for lunch to the restaurant we went to every Wednesday, and as a token of my appreciation I invited my colleagues for a drink at the Sokhamon Hotel after work. There was  very beautiful sunset and then I realized that, although I am really looking forward to go home, I will miss my life here in Senegal... 

Having lunch with colleagues of the Embassy
Anita, I will miss you! 
Such a nice view... 
Gerco, I will miss you!!!
Beautiful sunset...
I will miss you all!!! 
This afternoon I will go for a drink with some staff members of UNICEF. They told me after the presentation that they were interested to hear more about my research. I love my research and I always want to talk about it - especially if I am invited to talk about it in a nice restaurant with a glass of wine! :-)

Tomorrow I will say goodbye to my friends here in Dakar - probably with a 'flag' beer on one of Dakar's beaches - and on Saturday I will pack my backpack and fly back to the Netherlands in the night. I arrive early Sunday morning. 

I would not have been able to really understand how complicated the issue of FGM/C is, without spending these months in Senegal. I enjoyed every minute of my research in Senegal and I feel so lucky that I have the opportunity to be here. I am very thankful for the grants of McKinsey & Company and the Alumni Fund of TLS with which I am able to finance my case study. Without them it would not be possible! 

In addition, I would like to thank my interns Alina, Maria, Sofia and Jason - four students of the Master Victimology and Criminal Justice. I offered them an internship and they are helping me out with the transcriptions of the interviews and other related research tasks. They are doing a great job! Without them it would not have been possible to present my preliminary research results. Together we already transcribed 25 of the 54 interviews and therefore I was able to do a quick analysis in the past weeks. Keep up the good work, I really appreciate your help!

Lastly, I would like to thank my husband Erik, for giving me the opportunity to follow my dreams... I love you (and miss you) so much. 

See you all very soon, I can't wait!! 

Kind regards from Dakar,

Annemarie Middelburg
PhD Researcher at INTERVICT, Tilburg University
m.j.middelburg@tilburguniversity.edu


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