AU bets on Saleema Initiative to end FGM by 2030
AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The union seeks to end FGM by 2030.
What you need to know:
- The initiative was launched in 2019; about 150 million girls and women in Africa have undergone the cut.
- AU has put in place a five-year strategy, which, among other things, seeks to have a positive change by reversing pervasive rights violations.
The African Union (AU) is implementing an ambitious continental initiative aimed at ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and saving 50 million girls at risk of the cut by 2030.
The Saleema Initiative seeks to galvanise political action to enforce strong legislation, increase allocation of funds and strengthen partnerships, particularly within communities most affected by the harmful practice.
Already, about 150 million girls and women in Africa have undergone the cut. The AU Saleema Initiative on FGM was launched in 2019. Burkina Faso’s President was designated as the AU Champion on Eliminating FGM.
Addressing negative dimensions
Robert Kasenene, AU’s FGM policy and advocacy specialist, said the initiative is focussing on addressing negative gender and sociocultural dimensions that have been blamed for accelerating the practice. He added the initiative is also keen to intervene to end cross-border FGM.
“The campaign is also seeking to have member states implement strong legislative frameworks, allocate domestic financial resources in the fight against FGM, promote use of evidence and data and engagement of civil society and community groups in ending FGM,” said Mr Kasenene last week during media training in Sensitive Reporting on Harmful Practices organised by the AU.
Participants included gender journalists and scholars from 10 eastern and southern African countries—Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, South-Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
The initiative will also involve monitoring and acting on key FGM trends, among them medicalisation, cross-border practice, rite of passage, traditions, religion and other drivers.
He also said the campaign is addressing FGM circumcisers, both traditional and medical personnel, and looking at FGM as a form of gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practice.
Worrying numbers
Mr Kasenene, citing statistics, said one in four girls in Africa are mutilated before their fifth birthday. He noted that 50 million girls are at risk of undergoing the cut by 2030, with the Covid-19 crisis having increased the risk. Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan account for a large extent of FGM medicalisation.
He blamed limited legislative action and domestic resource allocation for hindering the war. The initiative has, therefore, put in place a five-year strategy, which, among other things, seeks to have a marked positive change in sociocultural issues that contribute to pervasive rights violations and GBV.
The campaign also seeks to strengthen stakeholders’ capacity and policies; generate evidence, data and information efficiency of programming; and ensure financial accountability within institutions tasked with fighting the vice.
Participants recognised the greater role the media play in fighting harmful practices. Bryan Tumusiime from AUC underscored the importance of the media in raising awareness of harmful practices, exposing perpetrators and influencing behaviour change.
Dr Edward Addai, the director of Unicef Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, appealed to the media to amplify the challenges preventing children, especially girls, from realising their full potential.
Dr Addai observed that if things continue as they are, the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 5, on eliminating such harmful practices, will remain a mirage.
“The good news is that we know what we need to do to end child marriage and FGM in Africa. The media need to hold everyone, who is involved in the fight against these harmful practices, accountable and keep the conversation going,” said Dr Addai.
28 hotspot countries
According to Unicef, about 200 million girls have undergone FGM across the world, with 80 per cent of this coming from 28 countries in Africa. Data provided by AU shows that most girls are cut before their 14th birthday. Prevalence ranges from 15 to over 95 per cent for girls and women aged 15 to 49, with select countries in the Central and Western Africa regions accounting for a large part of the figures.
About one in five girls were subjected to the procedure by a trained medical professional. In some countries, this number is as high as three in four girls.
The continent continues to experience high number of girls being cut, despite the existence of anti-FGM legislation, with 28 countries having specific laws or legal provisions.
In 2020, Burkina Faso submitted a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of African states, calling on governments globally to take “comprehensive, multisectorial and rights-based measures to prevent and eliminate female genital mutilation”.
Covid-19 worsened the problem, with increased cases witnessed across the continent. The increase was attributed to the lockdown measures imposed by countries and closure of schools due to Covid-19, which saw girls stay at home.
Anti-FGM activists have said movement restrictions slowed and some cases halted their efforts. They say it affected their capacity to prevent and respond as it restricted their efforts to coordinate, raise awareness and maintain a presence on the ground.
Complications resulting from FGM can include excessive bleeding, severe pain and infection. The harmful practice also contributes to negative maternal health outcomes, including obstetric fistula, and can hurt a child health and lead to death.
