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Third Place
Andrea Bruce
The Washington Post
"Female Circumcision" |
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In northern Iraq, a midwife slices part of seven year-old Sheelan Anwar Omer's genitals while performing a female circumcision. Female circumcision is a rite of passage for most girls in Kurdistan. It is meant to "cleanse" them of improper or sexual thoughts and actions. A woman who served as an escort for The Washington Post, left, rushed in to comfort the child. Maharoub Juwad Nawchas, the 40-year-old midwife at the bottom of the page, also delivered Omer and is a trusted and valued member of the neighborhood. Sheelan's mother, right, holds her. |
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