The Inter-parliamentary Conference on Female Genital Cutting (FGC): An Opportunity for Collective Action

The Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Female Genital Cutting (FGC), to be held at the Conseil Economique et Social in Dakar, Senegal May 3-4, presents an opportunity for African leaders and government officials to find a common approach for the continued efforts to encourage the total abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC). A resolution to be drafted and presented to the United Nations (UN) will call for a continent-wide ban on the harmful traditional practice. Delegates from Dakar plan to travel to New York in an effort to bring international awareness to the event and the cause.

The conference, organized by No Peace Without Justice and the Senegalese organization La Palabre, in partnership with Senegal’s “Ministère de la Famille, de la Sécurité Alimentaire, de l’Entreprenariat Féminin, de la Micro Finance et de la Petite Enfance” aims to provide a forum for reflection on past laws and gains in the abandonment movement in order to establish criteria for a UN resolution effectively prohibiting FGC across the African continent.

In 2003, the UN adopted an international convention with the aim of eliminating discrimination against women in Africa: the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. Nineteen African countries have adopted laws banning the practice of FGC. In Senegal, a law outlawing the practice was established in 1999 and has since been included in the penal code. Many strides protecting human rights in Africa have already been made. Besides providing a chance to reflect on these past achievements, the Inter-Parliamentary Conference will provide the opportunity for legislators at the center of national institutions – including national parliaments, the Parliament Assembly of the Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO), the Pan African Assembly, the African Union, and the UN – to come together to agree on a common approach as they move toward the abandonment of FGC.

Click here to read more about the conference.

Photo by Cemre Yesil

Bignona Departmental Public Declaration

April 24, 2010 proved to be a remarkable day for the region of Ziguinchor, in south-western Senegal, as 330 villages of the Bignona department gathered to publicly announce their decision to abandon the traditions of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage. This is the fourth departmental declaration in Senegal, bringing the number of communities that have abandoned FGC to a total of 4229 since 1997. This declaration represents a significant step towards Senegal’s goal of complete abandonment of FGC by 2015, and represents a landmark in Tostan’s work in the region of Ziguinchor.

Click here to read more about the declaration and about Tostan’s work in the area.

April 20, 2010: Senegal’s National Day for Talibé

Talibé are boys between the ages of 7 and 15 who can be seen on the streets in urban areas of Senegal carrying large tin cans and asking for food and money. These boys are sent by their families to Qur’anic schools known as daaras to learn the tenets of Islam from a Marabout or Quar’anic teacher. Begging was once a part of a talibé’s education in order to teach humility but in urban centers and towns, these young students end up spending more time on the street than in the classroom.

Collaborating for change: Tostan and Operation Smile in Senegal

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, a trust established in 1944, supports non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people throughout the world. When receiving the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2007, Tostan began discussing potential partnerships with past recipients, which led to a collaboration with Operation Smile.

A children’s charity working to treat cleft lips and palates─ facial deformities that can have life threatening effects─ Operation Smile brought its services to Senegal in 2008. Tostan, already active in the country since 1991, helped Operation Smile by informing communities of the organization and the free services they provide on radio programs, and by finding a hospital in which they could work. Tostan also provided housing for the team and for families of patients, as children were brought from all over Senegal to receive surgery and care. By working together, Tostan and Operation Smile were able to change the lives of 70 people and the collaboration presented an inspiring example of innovative organizations partnering for progress.

You can click here to read more about this collaboration, or here to learn more about the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.