This comes on the back of the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa.
This comes on the back of the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The fight against Obstetric Fistula (OF) is also one of their advocacies.
As part of efforts at ending FGM in Africa, the UNFPA, UNICEF, African Union Commission (AUC) and the Ghana’s Ministries of Health and Gender recently brought together key stakeholders from across Africa to deliberate on ways to end the menace.
Addressing the gathering, Director at the Department of Gender at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Comfort Asare said: “I am calling on children, when you grow up and you see that you’ve been cut, report your parents; report and let us know that it is being done in your family.
“If even we don’t punish them, we will see them as a target group where we will concentrate with our sensitisation to make sure that they become champions to stop them from cutting their siblings. So young girls, when you see that you’ve been cut, make sure that you report, report your parents,” she said.
The First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo also called for intensified advocacy and education to end FGM.
“Many options are available to governments and other stakeholders in the fight against FGM. We need to intensify these options if we want to make progress and eliminate FGM. We must intensify our education and outreach activities to ensure prevention. We must use all the legal activities available in our laws. We must all work together to ensure no girl goes through this horrifying experience”, Mr Akufo-Addo said.
Female Genital Mutilation is an internationally recognized as a human rights violation.
It comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
The practice is said to violate the rights to health of young girls, their security and their right to be free from torture. Their right to life is also violated, as the practice may lead to death.