136 countries back an Egyptian int'l call to end FGM around the world

CAIRO – 23 June 2021:  Egypt has launched an international call at the United Nations Human Rights Council aiming to put an end to Female genital mutilation (FGM).

According to The Foreign Ministry, the call which was launched in cooperation with Burkina Faso, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF, have been backed by another 136 countries.

This falls within the framework of the Egyptian efforts to end this phenomenon, also known as female circumcision, which was crowned by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's issuance of a law toughening penalties in this regard.

Egypt's permanent envoy to the United Nations Ahmed Ihab Gamal Eddin said all the states backing this international call have agreed on continuing efforts for eradicating this practice and spreading awareness about the health and psychological threats of FGM.

Earlier in April, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ratified new amendments to Egypt’s Penal Code on toughening penalties against medics who practice FGM.

On the Egyption National Day for Eliminating FGM, June 14, President of the National Council for Women [NCW], Maya Morsi, said that “the political will has triumphed for the Egyptian women over these harmful practices, as the punishment was tightened for everyone who performed FGM, and for everyone who requested it.”

 June 14 was chosen as Egypt national day for Eliminating FGM as it witnessed the murder of a girl named “Bdour” in Minya Governorate in 2007 after being subjected to an FGM practice.

Egypt’s recent amendments to the Penal Code toughening penalties against FGM practice was praised internationally.

Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ib Petersen, said that Egypt has made great efforts during the past two years that have yielded great results, through their joint cooperation with Civil society and development partners.

He pointed out that eliminating this crime requires coordinating all efforts and working according to a specific approach.

Petersen expressed his happiness with the criminalization of FGM in Egypt, and his aspiration to see a strong knowledge base in Egypt to share with other countries where the crime FGM is widespread.