Press Release

Ireland's National Plan of Action to Address Female Genital Mutilation - one year since the launch

25th November 2009


Today marks the one year anniversary of the launch of Ireland's National
Action Plan on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). One year on the National
Action Plan is yet to be formally adopted by any government agency and
specific legislation outlawing this form of torture in Ireland is still not
in place.



The goals of the National Action Plan are to; firstly, prevent the practice
of FGM in Ireland. Secondly, to provide high quality, appropriate health
care and support for women and girls who have undergone FGM. Finally, to
contribute to the worldwide campaign to end FGM.



We estimate that over 2,500 women living in Ireland have undergone the
procedure and thousands of children are at risk of this potentially fatal
practice, which is a gross violation of their human rights.



The Irish government must follow through on the recommendations proposed to
Mary Harney, Minister for Health and Children, and adopt a bill to
specifically outlaw the practice in Ireland. Only once this is achieved will
these women and children be protected and we can continue our work to
promote the abandonment of the practice internationally.



The Steering Committee is particularly concerned about the gaps between the
current United Kingdom legislation, covering Northern Ireland, and our own.
The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in the UK introduced
extraterritoriality, making it an offence, for the first time, for UK
nationals or permanent UK residents to carry out FGM abroad, or to aid,
abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of FGM abroad, even in countries
where the practice is legal.



Salome Mbugua, Director of AkiDwA says "There is currently no explicit legal
protection against FGM in Ireland; neither is there specific legislation to
protect a child from being removed from Ireland to have the procedure
carried out overseas. These two scenarios need to be catered for together
within legislation. We hope that the Minister for Health and Children will
get the appropriate support from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law
Reform and the Attorney General in urgently progressing this matter."