Egypt hosts regional conference on child marriage, FGM

CAIRO– 19 June 2019: Under the auspices of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, a regional conference on child marriage and Female genital mutilation (FGM) will be hosted in Egypt on June 19 and June 20.

Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Council for Women (NCW)and the National Council for Childhood & Motherhood, in cooperation with the African Union and European Union, the conference will be discussing the African challenges and efforts to counter FGM and child marriage as harmful practices violating women’s rights.

On June 14, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on the FGM said in a statement that Egypt is a pioneering leader in countering the FGM phenomenon.

“As part of the global response, success is determined by political will, accountability (at national and sub-national levels) and creation of an enabling environment that engages and coordinates actions from stakeholders across all sectors and partners,” the statement read.

Egypt’s efforts come in light of the SDG 5.3 and the African Union’s Transformative Agenda 2063, the statement added, commending Egypt’s’ leadership regionally and internationally.

The National Committee of the Eradication of FGM has launched an awareness campaign against female circumcision, on the occasion of the National Anti-FGM Day which falls on June 14.

“We consider ourselves today more fortunate in facing all forms of violence and discrimination against the female child and the woman, thanks to the continuous support of the political leadership and President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to the protection and empowerment of the Egyptian female child and woman, and the government's commitment to enforce national legislations and international commitments, in accordance with Egypt's strategic vision," said Maya Morsy, head of the National Council for Women.