On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, CPTAFE (Cellule de coordination sur les Pratiques Traditionnelles Affectant la Santé des Femmes et des Enfants) and No Peace Without Justice, in partnership with the Inter-African Committee for Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC), and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is organising a national workshop entitled “BANFGM: towards the elimination of female genital mutilation”, to be held in Gueckédou, Guinea.
On the proposal of the Minister of Social Action and for the Promotion of Women and Children of the Republic of Guinea, the event as well as other activities aimed at commemorating the International Day Zero Tolerance to FGM will be held in Gueckedou, where a young teenage girl named Koumba Tonguino died as a result of female genital mutilation in December 2015. This tragedy awakened consciences in the country and spurred a massive mobilisation for the elimination of the practice. In Guinea, despite the practice being outlawed, it is estimated that 97% of girls aged 15 to 49 are FGM victims.
As called for by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 69/150, the adoption and the enforcement of explicit and effective legislation, backed by sanctions, banning all forms of FGM are fundamental and crucial factors to successfully combat this form of gender-based violence, protect its victims and end impunity. In addition to holding perpetrators to account, legislation protects and provides the legal tools for women and girls willing to defy the social pressures of tradition and reject FGM, and also establishes the legal environment that legitimizes and facilitates the advocacy and educational work of local anti-FGM activists and women’s rights groups.
In addition to aiming to consolidate the political will of Guinean authorities to implement Resolution 69/150, the workshop will provide an opportunity to analyse and discuss national mechanisms designed to protect women and girls against FGM and to identify adequate measures to improve existing strategies addressing violations of the prohibition of FGM and strengthen the capacity of the police, gendarmerie and the judiciary in ensuring compliance with the law.
Participants to the national workshop will include representatives of relevant Ministries (Ministry of Social Action and for the Promotion of Women and Children, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Security and Territorial Administration), the Governor of the Region of N’Zérékoré, the Prefect of Gueckédou, representatives of UN agencies (UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDS, UNWOMEN), civil society activists and women’s rights groups, traditional and religious leaders, organisations at community level as well as the general population of Gueckédou.
Documentation
- Report of the national workshop and celebration event (in French)
- Draft program and concept note
- Ban FGM Campaign
- NPWJ Gender & Human Rights Program activities
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the Gender and Human Rights Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org, phone: +32 494 533 915 or Nicola Giovannini, email: ngiovannini@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 15.
