Genital Autonomy and Children’s Rights

Since many years, an international symposium on genital autonomy and children's rights takes place every year in Colorado (USA). Venue is the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO.

14th International Symposium (2015 in Frankfurt, Germany)

The Fourteenth International Symposium took place in Germany for the first time. On 8+9 May 2015, the conference entitled "Myths and multiple standards" was hold in the Haus der Jugend (Youth Hostel) in Frankfurt/Main.

The international list of referents was as follows:

• J. Steven Svoboda

  The US attorney and and founder of the organization "Attorneys for the Rights of the Child" contrasts about "The rights of the child vs the rights of the parent?"

• Mina Ahadi

  The chairman of the Central Council of ex-Muslims (Germany) and of the International Committee against stoning and death penalty offers answers to the question, what can be done against circumcision of boys in 'Islamic countries'

• Shemuel Garber

  The student and author of the bachelor thesis "The circular cut: Problematizing the longevity of civilisation´s most aggressively defended amputation' presents the connections between cultural, religious, and medical justifications for foreskin amputations.

• Kaan Göktaş

  The Turkish journalist and author of a book published in Turkey, concerning the tradition of male 'cutting' in connection with the Islam, sexuality and child rights reports on male genital mutilation in Turkey.

• Susana Rocha-Teixeira

  The topic of the TERRE DES FEMMES activist is "Myths and Multiple Standards with Regards to Body Modifications".

• Markus Bauer

  The co-founder of the organization "Zwischengeschlecht" (Intersex), which advocates the right to genital integrity of intersex, and thus forced gender adjustments to children, picks up the UN Commission meeting from early 2015 where they defined genital mutilations on intersexual persons as 'harmful practice'.

• Marlene Rupprecht

  The SPD politician and former member of the German Bundestag, member of the Children's Commission of the German Bundestag reports the 2013 adopted resolution of the Council of Europe to the physical integrity of children and further steps toward this goal.

All lectures were hold in English, with the exception of the speakers Mina Ahadi and Marlene Rupprecht who referred in German.

Find more information about the conference program and booking on the website of Intaktiv.

13th Symposium (2014 in Boulder, USA)

The 13th International Symposium on Genital Autonomy and Children’s Rights in 2014 used the slogan "Whole Bodies, Whole Selves: Activating Social Change". It took place from 24-26 July 2014.

The organization is done by National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (USA), Intact America, Genital Autonomy (UK and Australia), and the Sexpo Foundation (Finland).

Locally organized by Colorado NOCIRC.

External links

• Website of the 2015 symposium
• Official website of the 2014 symposium