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STATEMENT BY HON. RUKIA NAKADAMA ISANGA THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR GENDER AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)

Fellow Ugandans, February 6 was the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The day was commemorated in Nakiloro, Katikekile Sub County in Moroto District.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in December 2012, the Third Committee of the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs of the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark Resolution presented by the African Union calling for:“Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilations . It also called for increased efforts towards elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.” This led to the declaration of 6th February every year as an ‘International Day for Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.’

The UN Declaration calls upon Nation-States, the United Nations System, Civil Society Organizations and all stakeholders on the frontline of promoting empowerment and rights of girls and women to continue observing the day, in a bid to enhance awareness-raising campaigns at the grassroots and come up with community led interventions to foster abandonment of the practice.

The Government of Uganda joins the rest of the world to observe this day to ensure that Female Genital Mutilation does not occur.

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The global theme for this year is “Translate the Resolution: Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of FGM” and the national theme is: Zero Tolerance to GBV: Intensify Efforts for the Elimination of FGM.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, Female Genital Mutilation is a cultural practice that violates the rights of women and girls. It can cause a range of health problems, both short and long-term including bleeding, infections, trauma, complications at child birth and increased risks of Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV/AIDS.

Whereas in Uganda, FGM is practiced by less than 1% of the total population, the proportion of the population of women and girls affected in FGM practicing communities is as high as 95%. The practicing communities of Female Genital Mutilation include the Sabiny, Pokot, Kadam, and Tepeth in Sebei, Amudat, Nakapiripirit and Moroto districts respectively. Among the Pokot and Tepeth communities, girls are cut between the age of 9 and 14, after which they are married off to men old enough to be their fathers or grandfathers. This is not acceptable and violates universal rights that govern the health and safety of the lives of children and women, as well as their well being including the right to education. It is in light of this that a law was passed in 2010 to provide for prohibition of FGM and punishment of offenders, including the protection of victims as well as girls and women under threat of FGM.

For the past ten years, Uganda has commemorated this day to advocate and sensitize the community about the health risks including psychological torture as well as abuse of dignity of an individual that subsequently affect the socio-economic contribution of girls and women in the development of their communities and the nation.

The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in partnership with the development

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partners including UNFPA/UNICEF Trust Fund and the French Embassy; Civil Society Organizations namely Reproductive, Educative and Community Health (REACH), POZIDEP, Law Uganda, Moroto Diocese, Pokot and Sabiny Elders Association and other key stakeholders, collectively protect and promote the rights of women and girls against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This is done through various interventions that include:

• enactment of a law against FGM,

• development of FGM Act Regulations to guide the implementation of the Law on FGM,

• development of policy guidelines to facilitate the primary duty bearers with information on how to prevent and respond to FGM cases,

• passing of Kapchorwa District Local Government Ordinance(2008) to abolish FGM practice,

• development of materials on use of community dialogue for FGM abandonment,

• capacity building for all stakeholders to facilitate community dialogues towards abandonment,

• creation of networks at various levels to discuss achievements and challenges in the campaign against FGM,

• enforcement of the law,

• Community awareness campaigns against the harmful practice in form of community dialogue sessions, radio messages, talk shows, community theatre and success stories reported in the media.

As a result, there has been intensive community mobilization and some communities particularly among the Sabiny have declared abandonment to the practice of FGM.

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Furthermore there has been emphasis on education of the girl child where Government programs have addressed most of the constraints to girls’ education. Many stakeholders including Faith Based Organizations that reach the households have done a lot through sermons to sensitize the communities on the harmful effects of the practice to women and girls as well as to development of the nation.

Fellow Ugandans, FGM is a deep rooted cultural practice that requires concerted efforts to eliminate the vice. I therefore call upon all Ugandans to advocate against Female Genital Mutilation so that every girl and woman enjoys their fundamental freedom to live productive and healthy lives and hence contribute to the development of their families, communities and nation.

For God and My Country