Today (Monday) marks the beginning of the world’s largest yearly conference of organisations working to prevent female genital mutilation, FGM, in Banjul.
For a weeklong discussion and consultations on stopping FGM, the Annual Technical Consultation brings together more than 100 individuals from more than a dozen nations.
The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak coincides with the first conference to be held in The Gambia and since that time.
The UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, the greatest global initiative to end FGM since 2008, is the host of the Annual Technical Consultation.
Participants in the summit are from 17 nations in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere. They will discuss solutions, exchange experiences, and reaffirm the worldwide commitment to end FGM by 2030. It will also go over a plan for putting an end to FGM in the following eight years, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 5’s aim 5.3.
“More than 200 million girls and women have experienced female genital mutilation, and at least 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing the practice each year,” said Ndeye Rose Sarr, UNFPA The Gambia Country Representative. “There is a great need to accelerate our efforts to end FGM and deliver the global promise by 2030 and to recommit to our promise to the young girl in hard-to-reach communities and ensure that no woman or girl is subjected to FGM.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, economic uncertainty, and climate change have all disrupted the lives of girls and women all across the world, and the Banjul meeting is being held in the midst of this unprecedented global catastrophe. Additionally, it occurs at a moment when women and girls are pleading with world leaders to act swiftly and decisively to defend the rights of women and girls, particularly their right to health and dignity.
“The Annual Technical Consultation is an important opportunity to position the rights of girls and women at the heart of global conversations on the protection of fundamental human rights,” said Gordon Jonathan Lewis, UNICEF The Gambia Representative.
“Girls and women everywhere have so much hope and confidence in our shared promise: to work together and do more to protect every girl and woman from FGM and build a world where the rights and dignity of girls are protected.”
In order to fulfill the worldwide commitment to eradicate FGM by the year 2030, the Annual Technical Consultation is required to develop conclusions and recommendations based on the execution of the Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM. Along with strengthening collaborations, the gathering will give nations the chance to network, exchange experiences and innovations, and motivate more people to speak out against harmful behaviors.