Rotary International takes a stand against female genital mutilation.

By Elloise Farrow-Smith

When Lismore man Brian Wheatley gets hold of an issue he doesn’t let go.

He’s a father, community worker and passionate advocate of human rights.

As a grandfather he says he was appalled when he came across the issue of female genital mutilation at a Rotary Council on Legislation conference in Chicago some years ago.

But he was even more disturbed when his beloved Rotary organisation failed to support an international resolution to help stop the barbaric practice.

The UN estimates that at least 200 million girls worldwide have been subjected to genital cutting in both developed and developing countries.

The practice, which is known variously as female genital mutilation, FGM, genital alteration and female circumcision, is considered a rite of passage in some cultures.

It is illegal in many countries, including Australia.

Mr Wheatley said after the failed 2013 attempt by International Rotary he swung into action on the issue, backed by his local branch here in Australia.

The Lismore branch worked with the Rotary of Finland, Norway and Sweden to draft a new resolution.

As secretary of the Rotary Club of Lismore, Mr Wheatley believes cultural misinterpretation blocked the first attempt.

Not deterred by opposition

“It was something that the United Nations and Secretary Ban Ki-moon was really quite passionate about and here we are as a leading world-wide community organisation and we couldn’t get our act together and couldn’t get it right,” Mr Wheatley said.

“It was quite emotional when we lost that resolution in 2013 and we felt quite gutted, my wife was with me [at the conference] as an observer and everyone just walked out of the room disheartened.

“So I just decided I’d ask my club to support me and then we’d just try and do something that was right in the world for once rather than sit back and let this thing pass.”

Mr Wheatley said he worked hard on the resolution on female genital mutilation with fellow Rotarians from Sweden, Norway and Finland, and by the end of 2013 had finalised the legislative draft.

However they had to wait until 2016 for their effort to be considered because the council that considers Rotary legislation only meets every three years.

That happened on April 14 when Rotarians voted to recognise the practice as a crime.

“The vote was held in Chicago, there’s over 500 delegates from every corner of the world and 377 of those delegates voted for our resolution to eliminate that practice.

“Unfortunately, 128 districts saw fit not to support it.”

But overall Mr Wheatley feels positive about the vote and what it means.

Mr Wheatley said he expected Rotary International will now take the final steps to create an official statement and position on FGM in the same way that the United Nations had.

The Rotary club played a vital role in establishing the United Nations and plays a consultative role for the world organisation.

Mr Wheatley said it was fitting that Rotary’s new policy on FGM now reflected that of the United Nations.

He said it will be up to each Rotary branch to interpret how that policy will be put into practice, but he envisages work welcoming new immigrants will include education about FGM and how it is viewed as a crime.

Mr Wheatley said he would also like to see the official statement on FGM on local branch and district websites.

“A vote of this size will definitely make a difference,” he said.

“As a society we owe it to the young people of this world to get this right.

“I’ve got young grand-daughters and to think this sort of practice would be inflicted upon them just makes my blood run cold.”

This post originally appeared on ABC News.

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