Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting in Asia Remain a Neglected Problem

Women’s rights organizations in Asia are calling for states to introduce much-needed laws to criminalize FGM, says Nawaz Naz Chowdhury, Global Legal Advisor at Equality Now.By Nawmi Naz ChowdhuryKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, Feb 6 2024 (IPS) Significant advances have been made in Africa towards ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Asia, where FGM/C occurs in at least ten countries, but governments across the region are failing to take effective action. Women’s rights organizations are calling for states to introduce much-needed laws to criminalize FGM, provide national data on the extent and nature of the practice, and adequately fund efforts to tackle this regionally neglected problem. Nawaz Naz Chowdhury, Global Legal Advisor at Equality Now. Calls for governments in Asia to criminalize FGM/C There remains a widely held misconception that FGM/C occurs primarily in Africa, and this low level of awareness about FGM/C in Asia is contributing to inaction. In recent years, the UN, through its international human rights treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms, has provided recommendations to Asian countries, such as India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and the Maldives, to address FGM/C and pass specific laws for prohibition. Yet, nowhere in Asia has a law banning it. At the 7th Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC), seven women’s rights organizations made joint recommendations to regional governments about intro...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Education Featured Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Sustainable Development Goals TerraViva United Nations Women's Health IPS UN Bureau Source Type: news