During the first week of the 56th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, No Peace Without Justice and the Ban FGM Coalition has held a High Level Parallel Event “The worldwide ban on female genital mutilation: From the Decision of the African Union to a United Nations General Assembly Resolution”, which took place 27 February 2012 in New York.
Following the adoption during the African Union Summit on 1 July 2011 by African Heads of State of a Decision calling on the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a Resolution banning female genital mutilation at the current (66th) Session, the BanFGM Coalition has redoubled its efforts, harnessing the renewed attention that the UNGA Resolution can provide to bringing an end to FGM. The recent release of the United Nations Secretary General’s Report “Ending Female Genital Mutilation” was another significant step, bringing attention to the African Union Decision and emphasizing the timeliness of the process now underway at the UN.
The Commission on the Status of Women is a key moment in which to further advance the cause of the UNGA Resolution. The High Level Parallel Event “The worldwide ban on female genital mutilation: From the Decision of the African Union to a United Nations General Assembly Resolution” has brought together Ministers, Parliamentarians and civil society activists who have been at the forefront of the fight to eliminate FGM in their respective countries and worldwide.
The meeting, co-chaired byMariam Lamizana, President, Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children and Hon. Emma Bonino, Vice-President of the Italian Senate, saw the participation among others of H.E. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary General, Executive Director of UNWomen, H.E. Chantal Compaoré, First Lady of Burkina Faso, Coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban FGM Worldwide, H.E. Elsa Fornero, Minister of Labour, Social Policies and Equal Opportunities, Italy, H.E. Nanténin Chérif, Minister for Social Affairs, and the Advancement of Women and Children, Guinea, HE Maikibi Kadidiatou Dandobi, Minister of Population, Women’s Affairs and Children Protection, Niger H.E. Olivia Amedjogbe-Kouevi, Minister for the Advancement of Women, Togo, H.E. Sihem Badi, Minister of Women and Family Affairs, Tunisia, H.E. Marie Therese Abena Ondoa nee Obama, Minister of the Advancement of women and of family affairs, Cameroon, H.E. Raymonde Coffie Goudou, Minister of family,women and child, Ivory Cost, Bertin Babadoudou, Coordinator of Third Committee Experts of the African Group, First Counselor, Permanent Mission of Benin to the United Nations, Hon. Demba Traore, Secretary-General of the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, Rapporteur on FGM Parliamentary Bill, Mali.
- Brochure of the High-Level Parallel Event: English, French
- When: 27 February 2012, 18.15-19.45
- Where: Chapel, ground floor, Church Center Building, United Nations, 777 UN Plaza (First Avenue at 44th Street), New York NY 10017
Ban FGM Campaign
No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ) and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT), in coalition with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, Euronet-FGM and the Senegalese NGO La Palabre, have cooperated closely on several initiatives to foster support for the adoption of UNGA Resolution banning FGM as a human rights violation. The campaign has gained the support of human rights activists, women’s organisations, parliamentarians and government representatives from throughout Africa and Europe.
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, email: ngiovannini@npwj.org, phone: +32 2 548 39 15. Check also the websites: www.npwj.org and www.banfgm.org
