NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
"I believe that the strength of our National Action Plan is that it is a genuine partnership between civil society, individuals and the public sector", said Ambassador Ms Bente Angell-Hansen at a Conference February 6 on the Day for Achieving Zero Tolerance for FGM.
Addressing the conference organized by the Inter-African Committe, International organization for Migration, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the State of Geneva, she underpinned three main components of the Norwegian Action Plan against FGM; cross sectoral cooperation within Government and governemnt institutions involving all relevant actors, working with all levels of civil society including religious leaders, and wide dissemination of knowledge. To educate individuals as well as civil society and public services on all the different aspects of FGM, including the health consequenses, is indeed an important way forward. As the Ambassador concluded; "FGM is practiced in 28 countries. Most of these countries have had laws against such practices for decades. This clearly demonstrates that laws are not enough. We need more advocacy. And what can be more convincing than that FMG puts women and children at risk."
Read the intervention of Ambassador Angell-Hansen here
Read the intervention of Ambassador Angell-Hansen here
The Norwegian Action Plan for Combating Female Genital Mutilation (2008-11) can be downloaded here.