ADDIS ABABA
Djibouti hosted a regional conference on Friday devoted to combatting female genital mutilation (FGM).
Held under the motto "Towards a circumcision-free society," the conference was attended by Djiboutian First Lady Hadra Mohamoud Hade and Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino.
The event was also attended by representatives from Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast and Yemen; governmental and civil society organizations; the African Committee against Female Circumcision; and religious leaders and elders.
The conference was organized by the Djibouti Women's Association in collaboration with the country's Family Planning Ministry.
A report presented at the conference revealed that incidents of FGM had declined by half – from 80 percent a decade ago to a current 40 percent.
Conference participants underlined the need to provide a legal framework that protects women from the harmful traditional practice, according to recommendations issued at the conference.
Participants also recommended that both parents be responsible for genital cutting or infibulations inflicted on children.
Hade told the audience that her country had striven, with a measure of success, to stop the phenomenon.
According to Hadra, the only way to wipe out the practice was through community dialogue and public awareness.
In her address to the gathering, Bonino, for her part, called for the creation of a strong partnership against FGM.
"It must be stopped once and for all," she asserted.
Italy, she said, attached special importance to activities aimed at stopping female genital cutting – both in Djibouti and in the wider region.
Pledging Italian financial support, Bonino went on to call for joint efforts by all stakeholders – including NGOs and religious and tribal leaders – to eliminate the practice.
By Mohamed Taha Tawakel
englishnews@aa.com.tr
