HUMAN RIGHTS: MSF denies adopting 'pragmatic approach' to FGM

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Wednesday that its position on female genital mutilation (FGM) had been misrepresented in a report in the British weekly, 'The Observer', which said it had adopted a "pragmatic approach" to FGM. MSF-France President Philippe Bikerson told IRIN that there was "no way that MSF can in any way accommodate the practice", which is widespread from West Africa to the Horn. "MSF definitely does not have what has been pictured as 'a pragmatic approach'," he added. "It takes a principled approach on a complex issue we consider a real problem and we don't encourage or help the practice in any way." The 'Observer' article stated that given the existence of FGM, individuals within the organisation sometimes preferred to see it happen in the best conditions possible and that if that was the decision, MSF supported them even though it was not its policy. See item-IRIN-english-1483, titled 'MSF denies adopting 'pragmatic approach' to Female Genital Mutilation'