Coronavirus to have “catastrophic” impact on women with domestic abuse up 20 per cent
London, UK/New York City, USThomson Reuters Foundation The coronavirus lockdown could lead to a 20 per cent surge in domestic violence as victims remain trapped at home with their abusers, the United Nations predicted on Tuesday, warning the pandemic will have a “catastrophic impact” on women. Tens of millions of women may be unable to […]
World “woefully” underestimating female genital mutilation, study finds
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Female genital mutilation affects far more countries than previously thought, meaning global estimates for the number of women who have been cut are “woefully” low, researchers said on Tuesday. FGM is traditionally associated with a swathe of African countries, but the study highlights growing evidence that the ritual is also practised […]
Witchcraft beliefs blamed for halting drive to end FGM in Guinea
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Belief in witchcraft is hampering efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation in Guinea where almost all girls are cut, campaigners said on Tuesday. Aminata Bah, who underwent FGM at the age of five, said many people in the West African country believed traditional circumcisers had supernatural powers and girls feared being […]
Doctor, parents face trial in Egypt for girl’s death after genital cutting
Cairo, EgyptThomson Reuters Foundation A retired doctor and the parents of a 12-year-old girl who died after female genital mutilation surgery are to stand trial in Egypt, with child rights campaigners calling for jail terms to deter others from the illegal practice. Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hamada El-Sawy last weekend ordered the referral of the trio […]
Doctors in Egypt launch anti-genital cutting campaign after girl dies
Cairo, EgyptThomson Reuters Foundation Doctors in Egypt have taken time out of their surgeries for a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of female genital mutilation after the death of a 12-year-old girl, saying they do not want their white coats “stained with blood”. Genital cutting of girls was banned in Egypt in 2008, […]
Female genital mutilation will take centuries to eradicate, UN says
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Female genital mutilation will take centuries to eradicate despite world leaders promising to end the practice by 2030, according to United Nations data released on Thursday. FGM remains as common today as 30 years ago in Somalia, Mali, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Chad and Senegal, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said, while countries […]
Kenya pledges to end FGM by 2022 – ahead of global target
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Kenya’s President on Tuesday promised to end female genital mutilation by 2022, a goal women’s rights campaigners said was unrealistic due to insecurity and high prevalence rates in some parts of the east African nation. One in five women and girls aged between 15 and 49 in Kenya have undergone FGM, […]
Asylum seeker’s daughter faces deportation from Britain despite FGM risk
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation A British court said on Wednesday it had no power to stop the deportation of a 10-year-old girl at risk of female genital mutilation after authorities rejected her mother’s asylum application. The girl’s mother, who travelled to Britain from Bahrain and would be sent back there if deported, had expressed fears that […]
Anti-FGM campaigner Nimco Ali launches global bid to protect girls
New York, USThomson Reuters Foundation Every country must ban female genital mutilation to protect girls and help end poverty, Somali-born British campaigner Nimco Ali said as she launched a global project to end the practice by 2030. About 3.9 million girls have their external genitalia partially or totally removed every year despite health risks, according […]
Kenya’s President vows to push for more women in power and end FGM
VancouverThomson Reuters Foundation Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta promised to push for more women in power, keep all girls in school, tackle child marriage and end female genital mutilation at the opening of the world’s biggest gender equality conference on Monday. He told delegates attending Women Deliver in Vancouver that Kenya would make it compulsory for […]