In Puntland, excision on the verge of becoming a crime
A woman in the Dhahar area of Puntland on December 15, 2016. AFP - MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB
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2 min
Puntland could become the first territory in the Horn of Africa to ban female circumcision.
The president and government of this semi-autonomous territory of Somalia have approved a law banning female genital mutilation.
Somalia has one of the highest rates of excision in the world with 98% of women aged 15 to 49 who are victims, according to the UN.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Sébastien Németh
The text has not yet been ratified, but Save The Children is already talking about a “
big step forward
”.
During the Council of Ministers,
President Déni
and his cabinet approved the bill criminalizing female genital mutilation.
Awil Sheikh Hamud, Minister of Justice of Puntland said that "
women should be left as they were born
" and that "
anyone committing this act will be severely punished
".
The text has been sent to Parliament which must now validate it.
A criminalization of female circumcision would be a first in the Horn of Africa, even though Puntland and Somaliland already have religious commands condemning the practice.
Heavy penalties
The details are not yet known, but the project would involve heavy penalties.
Hospitals, midwives or even doctors performing these mutilations would also fall under the law.
According to the WHO, excision affects 200 million women and girls around the world.
It can cause long-term physical and psychological damage.
However, in Somalia, NGOs have reported an increase in the number of victims since the start of the pandemic, in particular because of the closure of schools.
Humanitarians go door to door to sensitize families.
According to the UN, if the law is passed, it could boost the chances that this campaign of struggle is a success.
► To reread: East Africa: drastic drop in female circumcision in twenty years
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