Female genital mutilation: A literature review of the current status of legislation and policies in 27 African countries and Yemen

African Journal of Reproductive Health

Volumn 19, Issue 3, 2015, Pages 32-40

  Muthumbi, Jane ^a   Svanemyr, Joar ^a   Scolaro, Elisa ^a   Temmerman, Marleen ^a   Say, Lale ^a  

^a WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

FGM C; Health policies and africa; Legislation; National plans of action

Indexed keywords

AFRICA; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; FEMALE; FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION; HUMAN; LAW ENFORCEMENT; LEGISLATION AND JURISPRUDENCE; MEDICALIZATION; POLICY; PREVALENCE; STATISTICS AND NUMERICAL DATA; YEMEN;

AFRICA; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; CIRCUMCISION, FEMALE; FEMALE; HUMANS; LAW ENFORCEMENT; MEDICALIZATION; PREVALENCE; PUBLIC POLICY; YEMEN;

EID: 84960815333     PISSN: 11184841     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (50)

1. World Health Organization. Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: an interagency statement. Geneva 2008. WHO classifies FGM into the following categories: Type 1- Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris; Type 2 – Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia majora; Type 3 - Infibulation: removal of part or all genitalia with stitching or narrowing of vaginal opening and Type 4 - Other: all other procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes e.g. piercing, pricking, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
2. UNICEF. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change. New York 2013.
3. UNICEF. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change. New York 2013.
4. UNFPA. Implementation of the International and Regional Human Rights Framework for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, New York November 2014.
5. FGM is recognized as a violation of human rights by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979); the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990); the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990); the Vienna Declaration and the Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights (1993) and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993).
6. World Health Organization. Global providers to stop health care providers from performing female genital mutilation. 2010.
7. WHO Study Group on Female Genital Mutilation and Obstetric Outcome. Female Genital Mutilation and Obstetric Outcome. WHO collaborative prospective study in six African countries. Lancet 2006; 367:1835-1841.
8. World Health Organization. Global strategy to stop healthcare providers from performing female genital mutilation. Geneva 2010.
9. Rahman, A, Toubia, N. Female Genital Mutilation: A Guide to Laws and Policies Worldwide. London: Zed. 2000.
10. Rasheed SM, Abd-Ellah, AH, Yousef FM. Female genital mutilation in Upper Egypt in the new millennium. Intl Jour Gynaecol Obstet. 2011: 114 (1): 47-50
11. Ako, MA, Akwengo P. The limited effectiveness of legislation against female genital mutilation and the role of community beliefs in Upper East Region, Ghana. Repro Health Matt. 2009; 17 (34): 47-54
12. Shell-Duncan B, Wander K, Hernlund Y, Moreau A., Legislating Change? Responses to Criminalizing Female Genital Cutting in Senegal. Law and Soc Rev 2013; 47 (4): 803–835
13. Byamukama, Dora C. Kanabahita. 2009. Effectiveness of Legislation Enacted in Address Harmful Practices Against Women in Uganda. Paper presented at the Expert Group Meeting on good practices in legislation to address harmful practices against women on May 25 to 28, 2009 in Addis Ababa. Accessed at http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw_legislation_2009/Expert%20Paper%20EGMGPLHP%20_Dora%20Byamukama_pdf.
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15. Article 5 of the Maputo Protocol on the Elimination of Harmful Practices prohibits and condemns all forms of harmful practices which negatively affect the human rights of women and supports necessary legislative and other measures to eliminate such practices, including prohibition through legislative measures backed by sanctions of all forms of female genital mutilation, scarification, medicalization and paramedicalization and all other practices to eradicate them.
16. UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. Accelerating Change. Scaling Up: a Comprehensive Approach to Abandonment in 15 African Countries. Annual Report. New York 2012.
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39. UNICEF, New York 2013.
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47. UNICEF, New York 2013.
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