Our vision
A healthier Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand where the harms of genital cutting are prevented and people with lived and living experience of those harms are supported.
We believe
- parents and health professionals want the best for children, and given the right information most will respect the child’s right to bodily integrity and autonomy;
- people with lived and living experience of the harms of genital cutting should have access to the trauma-informed treatment, care and support they need and deserve; and
- people with lived and living experience should be meaningfully engaged in the programs and services we provide.
Our history
On 7 May 2012, a court in Cologne, Germany, ruled that the non-therapeutic circumcision of a young boy represented grievous bodily harm and was not in the child’s best interests.
On 7 May 2013, the anniversary of this landmark court decision, a group led by former barrister, family lawyer, and Tasmanian Commissioner for Children Paul Mason, founded AIGA to protect and promote everyone’s right to bodily integrity and genital autonomy in our region.
Our name
In 2020, AIGA was wound up and The Darbon Institute was founded, a blend of the surnames of our founder the late Paul Mason, and generous benefactor the late Robert Darby, who was a medical historian and respected scholar on the subject of circumcision.
Our future
The important work of preventing circumcision harms and supporting survivors continues, but we can't do it without your help.
By working together, we can end the cycle and prevent the harms of non-consensual, medically unnecessary genital cutting.
Our impact
Member resources
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