UNFPA, UNICEF target 2030 for end to Female Genital Mutilation

The UNFPA and UNICEF on Thursday urged communities globally to intensify efforts towards eliminating Female Genital Mutilation by 2030.
This was contained in a joint statement issued by the UNFPA Executive Director, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, and the UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, in Abuja.
The statement said the call was made by both organisations at the 2016 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
It said female genital mutilation was a violent practice which scarred girls for life and endangered their health.
It said the act deprived them of their rights and denied them the chance to reach their full potential.
“FGM is widespread. It is a global problem that goes well beyond Africa and the Middle East where the practice has been most prevalent,” said the statement.
It added that FGM also affected communities in Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.
It said the number of girls and women at risk would continue to increase if the current population trend continued, thereby wiping out “hard-won” gains.
It said: “FGM is discrimination and it must end.
“It reflects and reinforces the discrimination against women and girls, perpetuating a vicious cycle that is detrimental to development and to our progress as a human family.
“In September 2015, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, 193 states unanimously agreed to a new global target of eliminating FGM by 2030.
“This recognition that FGM is a global concern is a critical milestone.
“But the recognition, while important, is not enough. To protect the well-being and dignity of every girl, we need to take responsibility as a global community for ending FGM.”
The statement said to achieve this, communities needed to improve data collection in order to measure the full extent of the practice.
It said communities also needed to encourage each other and work together with traditional and medical professionals towards ending the trend.
The statement called for more support for women and girls who had undergone the harmful practice and provide them with services to overcome the trauma.
Besides, it urged for the need to support and empower girls around the world to make their voices heard and call out to put an end to FGM.
NAN.