Afronline – The Voice Of Africa

Ugandan MPs have voted to outlaw female genital mutilation – also known as female circumcision. Anyone convicted of the practice, which involves cutting off a girl’s clitoris, will face 10 years in jail, or a life sentence if a victim dies.

The BBC’s Joshua Mmali in Uganda says it is not officially condoned but is still practised in several rural areas. Rights groups welcomed the move, but urged awareness campaigns to ensure the centuries-old practice stops.

MP Alice Alaso said the move was “a very significant achievement”. “It’s a very bad practice. It’s cruel, it traumatises people, it’s led children to drop out of school, it’s a health hazard,” she told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. “This is a warning signal – whoever dares practice female genital mutilation will be subject to the law.”

“This law is not just a victory for gender rights activists; it will, if implemented, grant a much-needed freedom for numerous young women from undergoing this culturally sanctioned brutality” an editorial on the Ugandan newspaper “The monitor” says.

“This, indeed, is a milestone in the fight for human rights” the editorial goes on. “Under international law, states are under obligation to prevent and punish violence against women. For passing this vital piece of legislation, we applaud Parliament for recognising that the rights of women-as human rights framework affirms-to physical and mental integrity, to freedom from discrimination and to the highest standard of health are universal. The President, too, has been a lead campaigner against FGM”.

By Staff – Afronline

See also: ‘I Feel Like Less of a Woman’ By Jessie Boylan – IpsAfrica