6 Feb 2013

FGM / ZERO TOLERANCE DAY

Fewer girls are subjected to the life-threatening practice of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C), according to new UN data released today, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (6 February). UNTV / FILE

Posted at: February 6, 2013 4:01 pm

Duration: 02:42

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: FGM / ZERO TOLERANCE DAY
TRT: 2.42
SOURCE: UNTV / UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 31 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – UNICEF -  23 JUNE 2009, SENEGAL

1. Wide shot, women marching
2. Med shot, women marching
3. Various shots, women and girls learning about the human body
4. Various shots, theatre role play to reinforce health and human rights

UNTV - JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA):
"We have in the last few years been able to work with member states, communities within those member states, civil society organizations, professionals to stop the practice in large number of communities. In 2012 alone we were able to stop it in about 1,800 communities in the world."

FILE – UNTV - 20 DECEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

6. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
7. SOUND UP (English) Vuk Jeremic, General Assembly 67th Session President:
"We now turn to draft decision one, entitled 'Ending the Female Genital Mutilation'. The Third Committee adopted draft decision one. May I take that the Assembly wishes to do the same? So decided."
8. Pan left, General Assembly Hall

UNTV - 31 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA):
"Last year we were also happy that we had a resolution of the General Assembly which elevated this issue to a point where we would have a global concern and global concentrated effort to try and stop this odious totally unnecessary practice."

FILE – UNICEF - 7-14 MARCH 2010, PORT SUDAN, SUDAN

9. Various shots, women at non formal education group
10. Close up, Saleema poster

UNTV - 31 JANUARY 2013, NEW YORK CITY

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA):
"The fact that this is something which has been there for a long time, and our ability to reach the last mile to be able to talk to those who are perpetrators of this; but I think we are doing our best; talking to professionals, making sure that we create alternative employment for those who do it ensuring that we educate communities about the harm."

FILE – UNICEF - 7-14 MARCH 2010, PORT SUDAN, SUDAN

13. Various shots, women's non formal education group meeting

STORYLINE:

The data show that FGM/C is becoming less prevalent overall and the younger generation is less vulnerable to the practice.

In the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle Eas, where the practice of FGM/C is concentrated, on average, 36 per cent of girls aged 15-19 have been cut compared to an estimated 53 per cent of women aged 45-49. The decline is particularly sharp in some countries. In Kenya, for example, women aged 45-49 are three times more likely to have been cut than girls aged 15-19.

Babatunde Osotimehin, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, said in an interview with UNTV that working with member states, civil society organizations, and professionals in the last few years UNFPA had been able to stop the practice in a large number of communities.

He noted that "in 2012 alone we were able to stop it in about 1,800 communities in the world."

According to UNICEF, as many as 30 million girls under the age of 15 may still be at risk. UNFPA and UNICEF's Joint Programme on FGM/C is currently making progress in preventing these girls and future generations from being exposed to FGM/C.

And the new estimates followed the unanimous adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution last December.

Babatunde said that this resolution elevated the issue to a "global concern and global concentrated effort to try and stop this odious, totally unnecessary practice."

Since 2008, when the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C was established, nearly 10,000 communities in 15 countries, representing about 8 million people, had renounced the practice. Last year, a total of 1,775 communities across Africa publicly declared their commitment to end FGM/C.

Babatunde said that one of the major obstacles related to the issue of culture, and he added that the fact that FGM/C is something which has been there for a long time. Still he said that, "I think we are doing our best; talking to professionals, making sure that we create alternative employment for those who do it ensuring that we educate communities about the harm".

Even in high-prevalence countries, attitudes towards the practice are changing. In Egypt, for example, where around 90 per cent of girls and women have been cut, the percentage of those aged 15-49 who have been married, and who think that FGM/C should stop, doubled from 13 per cent to 28 per cent between 1995 and 2008.

A comprehensive compilation and analysis of nationally representative data on FGM/C will be published by UNICEF in mid-2013. It will provide a global assessment of levels and trends, as well as statistics at the national and regional levels.