Isabella Humphrey

“With so many health crises and human rights challenges facing our world, why should I bother?”

I was about to witness a female genital mutilation to a 5 year old girl in a remote village in Indonesia, with an old knife and no anaesthetics.

This appalling practice is believed to be performed upon 90% of Indonesian women -yes, not only in Africa but happening next door! Some of the consequences can be: shock, pain, severe bleeding (hemorrhage, a potentially life threatening complication), infections, painful intercourse, sexual dysfunction…

The eyes of deep fear and the cries of that girl haunt me every single day.

Female genital mutilation was banned in Indonesia in 2006 but the Health Ministry of Indonesia issued a regulation in 2010 “which legitimizes the practice of female genital mutilation and authorizes certain medical professionals such as doctors, midwives and nurses, to perform it”. It is a step backwards.

These are the 2 main points in this project:

1- Urge the Australian Government to encourage Indonesia to ban this practice.

2- Urge the Australian Government to dedicate a portion of the aid money sent to Indonesia towards a specific educational plan that will encourage the eradication of this practice.

Our calls must reach the ears of the Parliament, of the Prime Minister, of the politicians. They are the ones who can do something about it, but we are the ones who can demand that they start talking about it.

This is a petition addressed to the House of Representatives in Parliament. It is a free postcard already stamped that people will find in bars, art galleries, venues, universities, etc, etc… and all they need to do is to write down their name, sign it and mail it. With simply doing this they are helping to change the lives of young and innocent girls.

There is going to be a website address at the back of the postcard with info about Female Genital Mutilation and about projects that are already succeeding and educating towards the ending of this cruel and unnecesary practice in other countries.

Now this is a way of pressure that starts with the people –YOU only have to mail a postcard. A change is possible.

I want YOU to participate more in this project so I have designed 2 postcards with 2 different sentences and you can vote for the one that will go to Parliament.

Participants will receive some postcards, to be the firsts to start spreading the word and sending them to Parliament.

When things are not talked about it seems like they don't exist. We need to acknowledge them, we need to talk about them because they do exist and yes, there is something we can do about it!

Help with this project, help make a big change in the lives of thousands of girls. Let's not turn our backs. You can help stop this.

AND REMEMBER… THIS IS NOT JUST ADDRESSED TO AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS BECAUSE IT’S A MATTER THAT AFFECTS ALL OF US.

--$2.590 + GST for 10.000 postcards  ( Avantcard is giving free distribution of up to 30.000 postcards!!! )

--$4.500 on stamps -I think it is most important for this project to distribute postcards already stamped in order to reach the Parliament.

--Website

--Printing cost of the photographs %20 t-shirts and the rewards posting expenses.

Clare Bowditch and all the team at Story Baker (www.clarebowditch.com)

Charlie and all the team from Avant Card (www.avantcard.com.au)

Waris Dirie and all the staff at Desert Flower Foundation (www.desertflowerfoundation.org)

Madman -distributors of the movie "Desert Flower" in Australia

My parents, who have supported me from the beginning, listening about the project for a million times with great patience.

My friends for all their help and support

And YOU, who are reading this and will spread the word and support this project to make a change.

THANK YOU!