By Moses Magadza in New York

NEW YORK, USA – The Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, has called for urgent and sustained parliamentary action to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Speaking at the launch of the updated Global Report on FGM/Cutting at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Ms. Sekgoma described FGM as a “very live and serious issue” in the SADC region that must be tackled with urgency.

She noted that despite regional and international frameworks, the practice continues to devastate the lives of millions of girls, particularly in Africa.

“Over 50% of all victims of FGM are in Africa. Over 80% of the victims are teenagers. Around four million girls in the world are still subjected to this harmful practice every year, causing immense physical and psychological repercussions, and even death,” she said.

She added: “It is very worrying to note that despite the prevalence of legal and policy frameworks, the figures on FGM are not improving in some regions, or if improving, then the pace of improvement is not satisfactory enough.”

Ms. Sekgoma argued that FGM is not just a gender-based violence issue but also a human rights violation condemned by regional instruments such as the Maputo Protocol and the SADC Model Law on Gender Based Violence. Yet, she noted, implementation remains weak due to an “implementation deficit.”

“There is a void between international conventions and the domestic context where not enough is being done to protect women and young girls, especially those in rural communities which are often off track and far to reach by the central administration,” she stated.

She drew a contrast between ambitious government investments in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and real estate developments and the continued existence of FGM in the same communities.

“Whereas progress must not be stopped, it is imperative that progress remains inclusive, and the fruits of progress are fairly distributed to all. Harmful practices such as FGM continue to imperil the positive contributions of women to society and hinder the attainment of gender parity, which is necessary for global growth,” the SG said.

Ms. Sekgoma called on Parliaments to go beyond passing laws, emphasising the need for public hearings, engagement with faith leaders and cultural influencers, and deliberate education campaigns targeting the youth.

“Nowadays, sensitisation campaigns are not enough. We need proper education campaigns where the youth are actively engaged to spread the word on the need to tackle FGM and to report infringements as a crime,” she stressed.

She said education campaigns must be developed in tandem with faith leaders to strike the right middle ground between the need to observe cultural practices and the dire need to uphold conducive sexual and reproductive health rights.

She also challenged the narrative that ending FGM is a Western imposition, saying, “Medicine and expert opinions in Africa itself have already demonstrated that FGM is a threat to the health and life of all women and young girls.”

She challenged stakeholders working with Parliaments to strengthen the fight against FGM.

“Now is the time to make your Parliaments the central front of defence against FGM by devising strategies that inform Parliamentarians on interventions that can be taken to eradicate FGM, especially before the onset of 2030. We need a combination of laws, budgets, oversight, but also concrete representative actions which can close the implementation gap,” she asserted.

She added, “It is by working together, and working intelligently, that we can eradicate FGM as well as other related sexual and reproductive health rights infringements.”

The global fight against FGM/C took centre stage at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), with leading organisations convening to unveil the latest data and renewed calls for global action.

The event, “The Time is Now: Launch of Updated Global Report on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting,” was held on Wednesday at the Church Centre of the United Nations in New York.

Hosted by Equality Now, the U.S. End FGM/C Network, and the End FGM European Network, the event seeks to highlight the rise in the number of women and girls affected by FGM/C and the need for a strengthened global response. According to the updated report, the number of women and girls impacted by FGM/C has surged by 15% since 2020, now affecting at least 230 million globally.

Once believed to be concentrated in specific regions, the new report presents comprehensive evidence of FGM/C in at least ninety-four countries, spanning Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and North America. For the first time, data confirms the existence of the practice in Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and Cambodia – countries previously unrecognised in global estimates.

Despite this widespread prevalence, only fifty-nine countries have enacted specific laws banning FGM/C, leaving millions of women and girls vulnerable.

“This event underscores that FGM/C is not confined to any one region, religion, or culture. It is a global issue requiring a coordinated, global response,” organisers said.

The event also sheds light on both progress and setbacks. Countries like Sudan, Indonesia, Finland, Poland, the United States, France, and Somalia have made significant strides in combating FGM/C through legislative and policy reforms.

However, growing backlash and challenges to anti-FGM/C laws in countries such as Kenya and The Gambia threaten to undo years of hard-won gains by activists and survivors.

With the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.3 deadline looming – which calls for the elimination of all harmful practices, including FGM/C – speakers at the event called for urgent global action.

Organisers stressed that achieving global eradication of FGM/C by 2030 will require every government to prioritise the issue, measure its prevalence in every country, and ensure survivor-centred responses are in place.

“The time to act is now,” organisers stressed in a note. “Without bold and immediate action, millions more women and girls risk being subjected to this harmful practice.”

-Moses Magadza in the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC PF.