Press Release: International Day of Zero Tolerance against Female Genital Mutilation 6 February 2008.

The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children – a non-governmental network that led to legislation in some African countries and to the public abandonment of the practice by communities – initiated the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation in 2003. In its Resolution 2003/28, the UN Sub-Commission on the promotion and protection of human rights called upon the UN General Assembly to 'declare 6 February the International Day on the elimination of female genital mutilation and all other harmful traditional practices affecting the health of women and girls'.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 130 million women and girls have been subjected to this practice and that an additional 2 million girls each year are at risk. This corresponds to 5500 mutilations per day. Most procedures are done by non-medical personnel - including traditional birth attendants, midwives, and 'old women'.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has serious consequences for pregnancies and childbirth and women who have been subject to cutting are more likely to end up with obstetric fistula. FGM is prevalent in 28 African countries, in a few Arab and Asian countries and among some African immigrants in Europe and the US. Fourteen African countries have enacted laws criminalising FGM. Most countries have today legislation in place prohibiting FGM, but the actual enforcement of these laws is difficult, in particular in rural areas.

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