Edele Thebaud, acting UNICEF Representative in The Gambia has said that Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is also a violation of the bodily integrity of the child.

Despite the best efforts of those who support the practice, she said, it is now evident that FGC is not Islamic. “In fact, it predates Islam and there are Muslims who do not practise it, while there are non-Muslims who practise it,” she said.

Ms Edele Thebaud made this remark at a two-day sub-regional consultative meeting on Female Genital Mutilation, organised by the International Planned Parenthood Federation in London, in collaboration with the Gambia Family Planning Association at Jerma Beach Hotel on Wednesday.

According to madam Edele Thebaud, UNICEF advocates  the protection of the rights of children and women, including their rights to be protected from violence, abuse and exploitation, as well as from  practices, such as Female Genital Cutting and early marriage. This, she said, “though traditional, it has been determined to be harmful and not in the best interest of the child”.

According to her, UNICEF views FGC as a form of violence against the child. “It is painful both physically and emotionally and may lead to infection, including the possibility of contracting HIV.  It traumatises the girl child and leads to scarification of the issue which has a long-term medical consequence for the victim. 

Several studies have clearly demonstrated a link between FGC and delayed child birth leading to complications in child birth which sometimes lead to the death of the mother, the child or both of them.  “Female Genital Cutting is a global concern.  Not only is it practised among communities in Africa and the Middle East, but also among migrant communities throughout the world. Every year globally some three million girls and women are subjected to Female Genital Cutting, a dangerous and potentially life-threatening procedure that causes pain and suffering. The practice violates girls’ and women’s basic human rights, denying them of their physical integrity and their right to freedom from violence and discrimination,” she indicated.

She noted that UNICEF believes that for a tradition as old as FGC, the approach to its eradication has to be holistic.

For her part, Naana Otoo-Oyortey of the International Planned Parenthood Federation in London said the two-day meeting will address issues that impact on the human right of women and girls. She said FGC is one of the key areas that discriminate against women and children.

She then added that African Union is keen on promoting the rights of women and children. “This meeting is to strategise, and learn lessons from what is happening,” she concluded.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Yankuba Dibba, Executive Director of the Gambia Family Planning Association.