delegations and observers from the health departments of nine African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as many Sudanese physicians and health officials. Unfortunately, limited action followed this seminar.

Four recommendations were unanimously voted by the delegates at the end of this fateful meeting:

Adoption of clear national policies for the abolishment of female circumcision;

Establishment of national commissions to coordinate and follow up the activities of other bodies involved including, where appropriate, the enactment of legislation prohibiting female circumcision;

Intensification of general education of the public, including health education at all levels, with special emphasis on the dangers and the undesirability of female circumcision;

Intensification of education programs for traditional birth attendants, midwives, healers and other practitioners of traditional medicine, to demonstrate the harmful effects of female circumcision, with a view toenlisting their support along with general efforts to abolish this practice.

The Inter-African Committee, formed in 1984 at an international meeting and headed by Berhane Ras-Work, by now has affiliated National Committees in 14 African countries and has offices in Addis Ababa (at the ECA - Economics Commission of Africa) and Geneva. They held several overflow meetings at the 1985 U.N. Decade Conference for Women in Nairobi and have published an "Action Plan" that provides an excellent set of guidelines for the National Committees to follow - who have held meetings in many African countries.

A ground-breaking International Seminar on "Strategies to Bring About Change" was held in June 1988, in Mogadishu, to draw world attention to the Somalian Campaign to Eradicate Infibulation - which was started two years ago.

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