Brussels, 06/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - In Africa, the scourge of genital mutilation of young girls, practised on the grounds of tradition, is becoming much less common, and a UNICEF project, co-funded by the EU, can be proud of its contribution to this change, reveals a report published by the European Commission on 6 March. The findings of the report show that, through education and awareness-raising, girls in thousands of communities in Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal and Sudan are no longer subjected to this practice. Two days before International Women's Day, European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has welcomed the progress made. “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 Africa with an alternative, as well as giving them the chance to become an active part of their own communities in the future”, he said.
In Senegal, where 28% of women aged 15-49 have undergone female genital mutilation/excision, over 5,300 communities have abandoned the practice in just under a decade. Senegal is close to becoming the first in the world to declare total abandonment, expected by 2015. In Egypt, where 91% of women are affected by the practice, the project has also made some progress, with female genital mutilation/excision becoming less common amongst younger age groups. The number of families signing up to the abandonment of the practice also increased substantially: from 3,000 in 2007 to 17,772 in 2011. In Ethiopia, despite high prevalence rates, the practice is similarly declining: between 2000 and 2005 rates dropped from 80 to 74%.
The project, which was co-funded by the EU to the tune of €3.9 million over five years (2008-2012), has encouraged large-scale community discussions and national debate on issues of human rights, and also collective decision-making through extended social networks about gender norms. This method has resulted in communities coming together for district-wide public declarations of the abandonment of these practices.
According to estimates, up to 140 million girls and women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation/excision and are living with painful complications. (AN/transl.rt)