Violence against women, abandoning female genital mutilation: the role of Parliaments

African Parliamentary Conference on "Violence against women, abandoning female genital mutilation: The role of Parliaments"

Dakar (Senegal), 4 and 5 December 2005

Every year, 3 million girls and women are subjected to femaile genital mutilation and cutting (FGMC). FGMC is an act of violence against women that must be combated by a number of actors, including parliaments. The regional conference entitled Violence against women, abandoning female genital mutilation: The role of parliaments was held by the National Assembly of Senegal and the African Parliamentary Union (APU) in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). It took place in Dakar on 4 and 5 December 2005. This conference made it possible for parliamentarians from African countries to exchange views, and helped build a better understanding of the role that parliaments should play in fighting FGMC. Specifically, the conference emphasized the means available to eradicate this practice not only through laws, but also through societal changes and action at the local level.