WUNRN
European Commission - Press release
EU Project Saves
Thousands of Girls from Female Genital Mutilation - FGM
In
In
The project helped to raise awareness of the dangers of
female genital mutilation/cutting, by encouraging large-scale community
discussions and national debate on issues of human rights, as well as
collective decision-making through extended social networks about gender norms.
This method resulted in communities coming together for district-wide public
declarations of the abandonment of these practices.
Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, welcomed the
results:
"I find it totally unacceptable
that in the 21st century, this
practice, which is a clear violation of human rights, is still taking place.
That is why I am so pleased to see that EU aid can make a real difference. By
raising awareness on the dangers of female genital mutilation/ cutting at
grassroots level, we have helped to provide young women across
Background
In many African countries, female genital mutilation/cutting is a centuries-old custom, believed to make girls marriageable.
Estimates show that up to 140 million
girls and women have
undergone some form of female genital mutilation/cutting and are living with painful
complications. Each year around three million girls – 8,000 a day – suffer the
results of it. The practice occurs in African countries, and some countries in
the Middle East and
Across the five African countries, the EU/UNICEF
project has implemented a common approach based on a comprehensive
understanding of how to change social norms to bring about an end to harmful
practices.
The project, implemented by UNICEF, received a total of
€3,991,000
(3.9 million) in EU funding over the period 2008-2012.