Nahid Toubia, born 1951 [1] in Khartoum, Sudan,[2] is a surgeon and women's health rights activist.
Toubia attended medical school in Egypt. In 1981, she completed her surgical training in the United Kingdom, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and the first female surgeon in Sudan. In 1985 she returned to Sudan, where she was head of Paediatric Surgery at Khartoum Teaching Hospital [1] and set up her own emergency clinic, but within a few years she was forced to leave again by the country's political instability. [3] She returned to the UK, and began her research into Female genital mutilation (FGM).[4] From 1990, she worked for four years at the Population Council in New York City. [3]
Toubia is the founder and president of Research, Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women (Rainbo), an international organisation which works to eliminate FGM through women’s self-empowerment and social change. The organisation has offices in New York City and London and works in Uganda, South Africa, The Gambia, and Nigeria.[5] Rainbo played a prominent role in changing the view of FGM from being a predominantly medical concern to a human rights issue. [4]
In 2002 Toubia told the BBC World Service that the campaign against FGM was fundamentally about changing women's consciousness, and empowering them to change their social position. She said while most African governments, health professionals and NGOs had the issue on their agenda, the greatest challenge was at grassroots level. She said "By allowing your genitals to be removed [it is perceived that] you are heightened to another level of pure motherhood - a motherhood not tainted by sexuality and that is why the woman gives it away to become the matron, respected by everyone. By taking on this practise, which is a woman's domain, it actually empowers them. It is much more difficult to convince the women to give it up, than to convince the men." [4]
Toubia is an Associate Professor at Columbia University School of Public Health. She sits on scientific and advisory committees for the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNDP. She is Vice-Chair of the advisory committee of the Women's Rights Watch Project of Human Rights Watch. [2]
Toubia publishes on reproductive health, women's rights, and gender inequality, focussing on Africa and the Middle East. Her publications include "Female Genital Mutilation: A Guide to Worldwide Laws and Policies," "Caring for Women with Circumcision: A Technical Manual for Health Care Providers," "Learning About Social Change: A Research and Evaluation Guidebook Using Female Circumcision as a Case Study," and "Female Genital Mutilation: A Call for Global Action."[2]
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