FGM/No Peace Without Justice: successful conclusion of Sub-Regional Conference on the Eradication of the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation held in Eritrea

Press release in Italian
 
The Sub-Regional Conference on the Eradication of the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation, conducted by No Peace Without Justice, in cooperation with the National Union of Eritrean Women, within the premises of the Ministry of Information in Asmara, Eritrea, concluded on Friday 28 March. The Conference, which started in the morning of Thursday 27 March, was convened on the occasion of the first anniversary of the adoption by the Eritrean Government of the Proclamation 158/2007 prohibiting FGM. It was attended by 140 persons, including the Eritrean Minister of Tourism, the Attorney‑General, representatives from the Eritrean Ministries of Information, Health, Communication and Transport, as well as the Governor of the Region of Makel, numerous religious leaders, representatives of the diplomatic corps, UNICEF, UNPFA, and civil society actors from Djibouti, Rwanda and Uganda.
 
The first day of the Conference was entirely dedicated to the interventions of activists in the campaign against FGM and the testimonies of representatives of local and religious communities as well as of women who have abandoned the practice and are now fighting against it. During the second day, participants focused their efforts on the creation of working groups to discuss and propose action plans at national and regional level.
 
Declaration by Sergio Stanzani, President of No Peace Without Justice:
 
“In a difficult context such as Eritrea, the success of this conference is particularly significant. The meeting was an opportunity for the Eritrean Government to confirm its willingness and commitment to carry out specific campaigns aimed at putting an end to the practice of FGM, which is to be considered as a serious violation of women’s and girls’ fundamental rights.”
 
For more information, contact Alvilda Jablonko, Coordinator of the FGM Program, on ajablonko@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32 (0)2 548-3914.
 
More information on the Conference