NCW’s Maya Morsy appeals to parliament to quickly pass Egypt’s new FGM law

CAIRO - 2 February 2021: The President of The National Council for Women (NCW) Maya Morsi called on the Parliament to urgently approve a bill that harshens the punishment of anyone who conducts or encourages the Female Genital Mutilation operation to Egyptian girls. 

This comes in a quick response to a recent case of a 15 year old girl who arrived at a hospital after being subject to FGM; the father and the nurse were arrested and remain in custody pending investigations. 

The Public Prosecution is conducting investigations after having submitted the girl to the Forensic Medicine Authority.

In this context, the National Committee for the Eradication of FGM, co-chaired by the National Council for Women and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, expressed its sincere gratitude to the Qalyoub physician for quickly reporting the crime upon the arrival of the girl at the hospital and for his intervention to provide all means of support for her. The Committee also thanked the Public Prosecution and police forces for responding quickly and arresting the perpetrators of this crime.

Maya Morsy, president of The National Council for Women NCW, expressed her deep sadness, denunciations and regret for the heinous act, saying, “I do not comprehend the insistence of some families to carry out this crime against their children, and how they are indifferent to the severe dangers that the girl is exposed to that often lead to death. "

Morsy called on the Egyptian parliament to quickly approve the bill that stipulates harsher penalties for anyone who conducts, calls for, or encourages the conduct of this crime as soon as possible to protect the daughters of Egypt.

She stressed that the National Committee for the Eradication of FGM will not tolerate the violation of any of the rights of Egyptian girls, and will continue its efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of this crime in all Egyptian villages, and to eradicate the medicalization of female genital mutilation.

Sahar Al-Sunbati, secretary general of The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood NCCM, said that the council's child helpline 16000 received notification No. 21684, which states the arrival of a 15-year-old girl to Qalioub General Hospital suffering from bleeding as a result of injuries to the genitals due to a mutilation at the hands of “a 72-year-old pension male nurse” at her mother’s residence in El-Qanater El-Khairy area, Qalyubia Governorate.

Sunbati directed to provide the necessary support and assistance to the child, and instructed the child’s helpline administration to continuously monitor her health condition.

She further expressed her deep sorrow for this unfortunate incident, which is a crime against our girls and a violation of their bodies and their innocence.

She stressed the continuation of the efforts of the National Committee to finally eradicate this crime, praising the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to tighten the penalty for the crime of Female Genital Mutilation, and noting that this is a victory for girls' rights.

Sunbati added that this crime will not be tolerated at all, and that all necessary measures will be taken so that the right of the innocent child is not lost, adding that the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood will not hesitate to confront these crimes and report such incidents to prosecute the perpetrators. She further pointed out that the child helpline 16000 provides a counseling service in this regard, and she appealed to parents to quickly contact the committee for advice and awareness of the harms of Female Genital Mutilation on the hotline number or through the WhatsApp service at 01102121600.

The National Committee for the Eradication of FGM was established in May 2019, including representatives of all relevant ministries, competent judicial authorities, Al-Azhar, the three Egyptian churches and concerned civil society organizations, in cooperation with development partners.