Gamcotrap on Monday joined the rest of the World to celebrate the Universal Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), with a march-past from the West Field Junction to the KMC Multi-Purpose Centre along Jimpex Road in Kanifing. The theme for this year’s celebration is, “From Malabo to New York; Support the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly banning FGM Worldwide”.

The celebration is meant among other things to protect and preserve bodily integrity and dignity of women and girls from all forms of harmful traditional practices in Africa and beyond. It is also meant to call on the international, national and regional communities’ attention to the efforts needed to free women and girls from the adverse tradition of FGM and to expedite actions towards its elimination.

In her official statement, the executive director of Gamcotrap, Dr. Isatou Touray, recalled that the day was unanimously adopted in 2003 at the International Conference organised by the IAC in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She added that the declaration was followed by governments and organisations as well as the UN Sub-Commission on the promotion and protection of human rights.

“The day marks a milestone in the fight to eliminate FGM and takes us closer to our destination,” she said. She added that the day is a positive step based on commitment that is expected to bring the world closer to the end of FGM as well as breaking of the new dawn of inalienable rights for women and girls, as tradition and culture take their rightful place.

“FGM is a violation of the human rights principles as stipulated in the Article 24.3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” she said. She noted that the MDGs also advocate for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality and development of maternal health.

Touray disclosed that the World Health Organisation has estimated that about 120 million have been subjected to the practice of FGM in Africa and that every years, two million girls are at risk. She said that FGM has long survived due to religious misconception. She added: “The practical system has succeeded in attributing a negative image of the female body to such a degree that women themselves have internalised the value of self-negation.”

She described the day as an achievement in partnership with the government of The Gambia, the National Assembly and the communities in promoting the rights of the women and children. “To advance the rights of women and children, Gamcotrap has partnered with parliamentarians on five occasions in promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls from harmful practices particularly FGM towards the implementation ofanti-FGM laws,” she concluded.