Posts tagged FGM

Justice for Deeqa: 10-year-old Deeqa Dahir Nuur died two days after a female genital mutilation procedure in central Somalia. Her death has prompted the first FGM prosecution in Somalia’s history

Efforts to discourage girls from being cut in Tanzania have changed the cultural meaning and practices around the ceremonial rite of passage.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Somaliland has issued a fatwa, or religious edict, banning female genital mutilation. This is preparing the region for the passing of legislation that will finally outlaw the practice altogether.

Culture may constantly be influx but certain practices such as Female Genital Mutilation are so high-risk, its abolition must be prompt. “With the dignity, health and well-being of millions of girls at stake, there is no time to waste. Together, we can and must end this harmful practice.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

A female Kenyan doctor is pushing for the lifting of the ban on the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). She claims the ban is unconstitutional and discriminates against ‘national heritage’. Women’s rights activists are up in arms. The question that is raised is this: Is advocacy for women rights about allowing women to dictate their own choices, or does such advocacy extend to preventing those who wish to harm themselves from doing so?

When a cluster of villages in Senegal publicly announced their decision to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 2008, many thought it was just a theoretical gesture. Today, the country stands as an example of how to eradicate genital cutting, writes Patrick Egwu.

Today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation a UN-sponsored awareness day that takes place on the 6th of February each year since 2003. The day is dedicated to the intolerance of FGM and fighting the scourge, which has affected at least 200 million women and girls in 30 countries across the world. Africa joins the world in observing such an important day.

An amended law in Egypt, imposing tougher penalties on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and reclassifying the practice as a crime rather than a misdemeanour has come into effect. FGM practitioners will now face up to 15 years in jail if found guilty of carrying out the procedure. Although the practice was criminalised in 2008, FGM remains widespread in Egypt, and it is also silently practiced in other African countries. The amended law has been welcomed by anti-FGM campaigners.

Egypt’s lawmakers will soon vote to impose tougher penalties for female genital mutilation (FGM). Prison terms, which previously ranged from three months to three years will increase to between five and seven years, and a person could face 15 years if the act results in death.

The recent death of Fatmata Turay, a 19 year-old girl from Makeni, Sierra Leone, who died after a botched female genital mutilation (FGM) operation has continued to cause a public outrage. There are loud calls from rights groups for the government to take a tough stance on the harmful practice.