A resolution against female genital mutilation (FGM) has been endorsed by the UN general assembly (UNGA) in a move hailed by Amnesty International.
“This an important moment for everyone engaged in the fight against FGM – and most particularly for all the girls and women who have been affected by this grotesque practice,” said José Luis Díaz, Amnesty International’s UN representative in New York.
“The UN resolution places FGM in a human rights framework and calls for a holistic approach, stressing as it does the importance of empowerment of women, promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive health and breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence.”
Today’s result was a first for the UNGA. Every year FGM affects up to 3 million girls in nearly 30 countries,