Remarks at the Commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Salutations

• Hon. Minister of State for Gender and Women Affairs
• His Excellency Jan Sadek- The EU Head of Delegation
• Excellencies for the Embassies and Consulates represented
• Hon. Members of Parliament
• Representatives of Development Partners
• Representatives of Government Agencies
• The District and Local Governments Represented
• The Cultural and Religious Leaders
• My UN Colleagues
• The Media
• Young People
• Invited Guests

Good afternoon!

On behalf of the United Nations, allow me to begin by expressing appreciation to the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development for taking  leadership in organising this commemorative event, under the Theme “Partnering with Men and Boys to Transform Social and Gender Norms to End Female Genital Mutilation."                                

I would also like to thank my own UN Family particularly UNFPA and UNICEF and all partners for steering UN efforts to accelerate the promise to end female genital mutilation in Uganda.

Special appreciation to the Global Trust Fund on FGM, including Governments of the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America for the generous support towards the Government of Uganda/UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme to end FGM, as well as the EU Spotlight Initiative on the Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls that has further enabled us to bring other partners on board, to intensify efforts to end FGM.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Female genital mutilation inflicts lasting emotional and physical harm on the most vulnerable members of society. It has no medical or religious justification – and no place in the 21st century.  It is an internationally recognized violation of the human rights of girls and women. And must be eliminated.

Although the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Uganda is already declining (from 1.4 per cent in 2011 to 0.3 per cent, according to UDHS 2016), progress needs to increase tenfold to meet the global target of elimination by 2030. Furthermore, the stacked regional disparities and the growing medicalization of the action indicate that more needs to be done to eliminate the harmful practice. 

Ending female genital mutilation requires more collaboration among a broad group of stakeholders, including global, regional, national and local policymakers; civil society from small grass-roots organizations and women's rights groups to international non-governmental organizations; agents of change from parents, teachers and health workers to religious leaders and local elders; as well as law enforcement and judicial officials. Men and boys also have a crucial role to play.

With eight years remaining in this decade of action, there is potential to eliminate this harmful practice through sustainable partnerships with men and boys. Men can take action to eliminate FGM in several ways, including fostering a safe environment for women and girls and protecting them, speaking up against harmful practices and raising awareness about FGM. Their voices and actions can transform deeply rooted social and gender norms, allowing girls and women to realize their rights and potential regarding health, education, income, and equality.

We must act quickly, decisively and on many fronts simultaneously.

As we act, we also need to acknowledge all service providers working hard day and night to eliminate female genital mutilation. We commend communities that are actively denouncing and abandoning female genital mutilation. We are all warriors in this fight against female genital mutilation, and our concerted efforts are our strength.

 The UN continues to be a trusted partner in efforts geared towards eliminating female genital mutilation. Since 2008, UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, has led the largest global programme to accelerate the abandonment of female genital mutilation in 17 countries globally. UNFPA and UNICEF have leveraged funding from the Spotlight Initiative and UN Trust Fund for COVID-19 response to expand the services to women and girls affected by female genital mutilation. In Uganda, there has been tremendous progress of the Joint Program as already highlighted by previous speakers and in the documentary. However, allow me to emphasize some of the key achievements that we have jointly achieved together with the Government of Uganda and Civil Society Organisations:

1.  Girls and women in FGM practicing districts and communities have been empowered and are now able to express their rights through engagement and access to safe spaces, participation in Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescents (ELA) programmes and clubs, Male Action Groups (MAGs), and in-school clubs.

2. More girls and women have access to appropriate, high-quality and systemic services for FGM prevention, protection and care as demonstrated through girls who escaped FGM and sought for support from police, health, community leaders, and politicians among others.

3. Over 200 communities in the FGM practicing districts in Uganda have made a public declaration on abandonment of FGM.

4. Over 35,000 community members have actively participated in making public declarations on FGM abandonment which represents a positive shift in deeply rooted social norms driving the practice of FGM.

I am glad that today we are also launching Phase IV of the Global Program on Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation inUganda  that will see us accelerate our work  to accelerate the abandonment of  female genital mutilation, a  sign of the commitment of the United Nations to eliminate this harmful practice.

The elimination of female genital mutilation and the attainment of gender equality are interdependent andmutually reinforcing goals. If gender equality were a reality, there would be no female genital mutilation. The same interventions that will end female genital mutilation will also support the power and agency of girls and women to exercise their human rights, reach their potential and contribute fully to their communities and their futures. This is the world we envision, and the Sustainable Development Goals chart the path to get us there.

We call upon the Government of Uganda and all stakeholders to UNITE around proven strategies, FUND them adequately and ACT NOW!.

I would like to end by re-echoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s call in his message on the 2023 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.

“Men and boys – brothers, fathers, health workers, teachers, and traditional leaders – can be powerful allies in challenging and ending this scourge, as this year’s theme makes clear.

I call on men and boys everywhere to join me in speaking out and stepping forward to end female genital mutilation, for the benefit of all.”

Thank you.