| Four years ago,
UNICEF dedicated February 6th to the fight against female circumcision. It
is an age-old tradition largely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and in
some Middle Eastern countries, where an estimated three million girls
undergo genital mutilation every year. It is seen as a rite of passage for
young girls to womanhood, and is believed to enhance a girl's beauty,
honour and social status. Parents encourage it,fearing their daughter will
not be able to find a husband otherwise. For decades, non-governmental and
humanitarian organisations have been campaigning to inform people about
the dangers of the practice. But in many cases, campaigns to try to outlaw
the female circumcision failed to bring much change. What has made a
difference is a program of human rights education allowing people to make
up their own minds. The village of Ker Simbala in Senegal is one of the
first in the country to have given up female circumcision. Local
politician Aminata Ndiaye said that thanks to the program, which is based
on educating people with regards to health and their rights, they have
managed to raise awareness both among men and women, to enable them to
decide for themselves. Some 130 million girls and women are affected in
the 28 countries where the practice is still performed. The highest
prevalence of female circumcision is in Guinea, Egypt, Mali, Sudan and
Eritrea. In those five countries, more than 50 percent of the female
population supports the practice. Social pressure and the fear of being
ostracised means a majority of girls, often very young, are forced to
undergo the mutilation. Melegue Traore, a politician from Burkina Faso,
where the practice is illegal, says after 20 years of campaigning, all
countries should have legislation that bans sexual mutilation. "There
should be laws saying anyone who peforms genital mutilation on a young
girl could face a jail sentence." That still is not the case today. In
Sudan, for instance, only the most severe form of female genital
mutilation is forbidden by law. Most European countries ban the practice.
In September 2001, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on
member states to punish any national who commits the crime of female
genital mutilation, even if carried out outside the borders. The
resolution also calls on member states to recognise the right to asylum of
women and girls at risk of
circumcision. |
