Sponsors: Nigeria, Mali, Botswana
Signatories: Ghana, Ethiopia, Algeria
“FGM (female genital mutilation) – a violation of women’s rights”
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), meeting at the 1st Model African Union Conference in Bayreuth (Germany) on 21st to 24th April 2016,
Alarmed by the high amount of FGM cases in the world and especially on African soil,
Considering the fact that more than 40 countries have signed and/or ratified the Maputo protocol 2003, 2005 and 2010 respectively including the Article 5 (elimination of harmful practices),
Noting that in spite of its ratification, FGM has not been completely eliminated,
Keeping in mind that a successful disestablishment is not only based on education but also on the transformation of deeply rooted socio-cultural habits,
Having studied statistics that show prevalence in rural areas compared to urban ones,
Having considered that education should start as early as possible to overcome taboos concerning the human body,
Pointing out strong gender inequality contradicting Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
Remembering that FGM contradicts Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that prevents people from torture and cruel treatment,
Emphasizing on the trans-border occurrence,
Referring to its secularist origin.
- Urges every country of the African Union (AU) to ratify and enforce laws against FGM.
- Further urges every country to outlaw participating in FGM and the promotion of FGM.
- Recommends increasing the law enforcement concerning FGM in the affected countries of the AU by further qualifying people related to the judicial and executive system.
- Encourages our fellow states to participate in a FGM work group within the AU, which shall contain the following:
A central organ including permanent fulltime positions stationed at an office located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia permanent fulltime or part-time positions filled by core members amongst Africa and the globe and being connected to the rest of the central organ on an digital level and an executive organ actively engaged in the field, teaching, educating and informing in affected regions.
- Supports annual meetings with fulltime, part-time and executive members (work group), as well as local FGM-governmental organizations (GOs), national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international NGOs as well as traditional leaders, social workers and an audience open to everyone towards the aim to work on a successful eradication of FGM.
- Targets girls, women and men who are either directly or indirectly affected by FGM as well as the society as such in order to establish a new state of mind.
- Seeks the African Monetary Fund (AMF) to fund the AU FGM work group.
- Transmits the responsibility of selecting the members – be it a private person or an organization, their rights and duties as well as procedure rules to the statute elaborated by the ACHPR.
- Proposes to provide materials for kindergarten teachers to support them in educating parents about FGM. The importance accompanying parents along the way of their children’s development shall be emphasized.
- Recommends a sexual education of students of both genders in higher classes of primary school.
- Encourages the member States of the AU collaborate on media campaigns in order to raise awareness about FGM and its problematic nature
- Suggests the establishment of local information centres to provide rural parts of countries with shelters.
- Calls for the national NGOs to inform midwives and other executors of FGM about the risks and health issues of FGM. The convinced former executors of FGM shall be integrated in the work of NGOs or otherwise be given another form of education towards jobs in order to provide the former FGM practitioner with a chance to another job.
- Further suggests the issue of FGM to be integrated in programs of NGOs not working in the health sector.
- Encourages Member States to promote policies which seeks NGOs to apply for an engagement against FGM inside a Member State of the African Union and to report extensively on their aims inside the specific Member State and on the NGOs’ experiences with the specific State and their experiences with the fight against FGM.
- Determines the engagement to always be temporary for a three-year term.
- Also requires NGOs not to use their engagement in order to advertise for special beliefs, convictions or ideas not related to an efficient help against FGM.
- Further requires the NGOs to annually report to the respective Member States and to the AU.
- Further asks member States to promote policies which require NGOs