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Issue of Female Genital Mutilation Reaches UNHRC

A political will by the Indian Government is required to declare the practice of FGM, also known as Khafz or Khatna, is illegal under Indian laws. FGM is in violation of the Constitution, and its continuance violates the human and constitutional rights of women and children.

Female Genital Mutilation 
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In an oral statement made by the Alliance Globalecontre les Mutilations GénitalesFéminines to the President of the UNHRC, on September 21, 2017, the formation has questioned the non-inclusion of the grave gender discriminatory and violent practice of female genital mutilation in most reports made by human rights groups from India for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
 
The short and powerful intervention states that despite this non-inclusion, “Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) exists in India for real. It is not imagined. There is enough evidence to prove its existence within the Bohra community which has a population of nearly 2 million and several other communities, including recent evidence of the practice emerging from Kerala.”
 
The full statement reads:
 
“A study has shown that almost 80% women in the Bohra community have had FGM/C done to them.

A political will by the Indian Government is required to declare, in unequivocal terms, that the practice of FGM/C, also known as Khafz or Khatna, is illegal under Indian laws.
 
“It is in violation of the Constitution, and its continuance violates the human and constitutional rights of women and children.

“We call upon the Government of India to ensure adequate steps are taken to proactively prevent FGM/C and provide redress, in response to the Resolution [A/RES/67/146] adopted in unanimously in December 2012 as well as part of the plan to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goal (5.3) of ending FGM/C worldwide by 2030.
 
“We equally call upon United Nations Agencies and international organizations working in the field of FGM to support the work of ‘We Speak Out on FGM” in India, so far the only existing structure committed to end FGM in India.
 
.@speakoutonFGMCalls upon the Government of India to proactively take adequate steps to prevent FGM&to accomplish the SDG of ending FGM worldwide by 2030.”
 

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