Ethiopia: Global Consultation on FGM/FGC

Global Consultation on FGM/FGC

30th July to 4th August Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Global Forum will bring together development partners, donors, UN Agencies, Civil Society organizations, Law Enforcement Agencies, Human Rights Activists and research Organizations to develop a Consensus Document on a global Strategy to eliminate FGM/FGC Date: 30th July to 4th August 2007 Venue: United Nations Conference Centre. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Join us and contact us: [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] FGM/FGC is a global concern. The World Health Organization estimates that about 100-140 million women have been subjected to FGM/FGC in 28 countries in Africa as well as immigrants in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and the United States. It is now becoming clearer that FGM/FGC is also practiced in some countries of Asia especially among certain populations in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The practice is being reported in the Middle East particularly in northern Saudi Arabia, southern Jordan, Iraq and Yemen. Thus the practice is no longer confined to a few countries, it is a global concern. WHO estimated that approximately 3 million girls are mutilated each year. The prevalence of FGM/FGC varies from country to country, and also varies between various ethnic groups within each country. For example; the prevalence is above 90% in Guinea-Conakry, Somalia, Mali, Djibouti andEgypt while the lowest is in Uganda and Niger with only 5% prevalence.

Planned Results
- New partnerships built between UNFPA, other UN Agencies, development partners, research institutions, funding agencies, NGOs and Civil Society organizations; to advocate with one voice for increased attention and funding for FGM/FGC interventions for accelerated elimination of this practice.

- Recent developments shared in social sciences with respect to the abandonment of harmful practices which point to alteration of norms and values within societies.

- New research reports, experiences, lessons learned and best practices shared and consensus reached on mechanism for scaling up best practices through partner collaboration globally;
- A Consensus Document developed as "a commonly agreed inter-regional strategy/Road Map for the elimination of FGM/FGC"

- Responsibilities allocated on the Implementation of the Strategy/Road map