The difficulties in ending Female Genital Cutting in Somaliland
Female Genital Mutilation is the biggest human rights violations in Somaliland with more than 98% of our girls undergoing some sort of circumcision. FGM/C has zero health benefits and often results in lifelong health complications, increased risks during childbirth, psychological trauma, and even death.
To end this harmful practice Civil Society Organizations have been at the forefront by enlightening communities to understand the negative effects of FGM, and consequently abandon this harmful practice. The Civil Society Organizations are also pushing for policy lawmakers to pass a law criminalizing the practice to protect girls as well as support grassroots activists working to end FGM in their communities.
It was seven years ago when the Anti-FGM policy was drafted and it remains a draft yet to be endorsed. For this reason, the Civil Society Organizations are worried about the absence of getting legislation criminalizing this practice and thus the stakeholders are calling for:
1. The Government commitment to end this harmful practice as the first step to going forward
2. The Government should organize and coordinate well all the efforts made by the civil society, government agencies and other stakeholders to get law criminalizing this practice
3. Community leaders should understand that female circumcision is a human rights violation and it’s necessary for them to support ending the practice by 2030.
Finally, Civil Society Organizations acknowledges the good work of all actors who showed their support to eliminate FGM/C in Somaliland and belief that the only way to guarantee our success is to keep our work going.