Female genital mutilation (FGM) must be stopped!

Nobel institutt 8. august 2007.

Dear audience,

Female genital mutilation (FGM) must be stopped! As a government it is our responsibility to protect girls from being mutilated. And it is our responsibility to give women that have been mutilated proper health treatment.

The Norwegian authorities have a history of effort, both national as well as international, to combat FGM. The work against this harmful tradition has been done through the law, through information and preventive work - in cooperation with both the groups at risk and voluntary organisations. 

FGM is forbidden by law for inhabitants in Norway, whether the act takes place in Norway or abroad.  In spite of the law; no one has yet been accused and sentenced for the crime.

New actions summer 2007
This summer we received information which requested for immediate action. We wanted to try to prevent young girls from being mutilated during their school holidays abroad.

The first of July we opened a 24 hours phone service. On the phone, the girl herself or others, can get advice and guidance if she believes to be in risk of mutilation. The same week we launched an information campaign against FGM, where Somali-representatives handed out different information-pamphlets on the issue.
We have extended the opening hours on the maternal and child healthcare centres to give information and consultations. Information on boards has been placed on tube, bus, tram and taxi. Last, but not least – it has been put forward that the police can use the immigration law to detain people from departure, or even refuse issuing passports. I think it is important that the information campaign has been in collaboration between the Ministries and organisations representing immigrants.  This constructive dialogue will keep on.  

In Norway, employees in Child Welfare Authorities, schools, kindergartens, religious leaders in religious communities have a duty to prevent genital mutilation of young girls. If not, they can be sentenced up to one year in prison. We gave guidelines to all these services concerning their obligations to take action if they consider girls to be in risk of being mutilated.

Future actions – New Plan
The actions I mentioned are on short term and must be supplied by permanent services and initiatives. Already this autumn we will launch a new plan of actions. By these new actions we hope to promote and protect the human rights of girls and women who have been, or are in danger of being exposed to FGM. The plan will be based on open dialog, involvement and knowledge. But the plan is yet not finished and therefore I can not go more in detail of the plan today. 
 
FGM will be a part of the increasingly multicultural competence within Child welfare authorities.

Historic
Efforts to combat mutilation of girls is not new of date in Norway. For more than one decade we have had laws to prevent FGM. In 2000 we launched the first plan of action. This plan was followed up by a project which intended to provide people with arguments and strategies to resist the social pressure in exposing their children to FGM. The project led to a greater social acceptance in discussing the matters of FGM.

Each Regional Health Authority has established an offer of services for mutilated women, with specialist gynaecologists working for treatment of mutilated women.

Policlinics where women can get treatment, without reference from their medical doctors, were established in 2004.

International
Even if my responsibility as minister is primarily on the national level. As member of cabinet I feel great concern for this problem worldwide. We assume that in Norway annually 250 girls at maxima are in risk of being mutilated, while worldwide 3 million girls are mutilated each year. By supporting international action plans we make an effort to combat this harmful tradition also abroad. I would like to honour the work of my colleague Mr Solheim and his work throughout NGO’s. I had myself the pleasure to study the work of 3 NGO’s on my visit to Ethiopia last November and was impressed of the good work funded by the Foreign Ministry. 

Summing up
We have no statistics showing the numbers of mutilated girls in Norway. We need such numbers and have started a survey which will map the extent of FGM in this country. The results from the survey will be presented early next year. 

The fact that an increasingly number of mutilated women ask for surgical reopening before marriage also indicates a change in attitudes. Still we need to have a number of various and different actions – from dialog and information, to stricter law enforcement, knowledge and education to civil servants.
We are aware of the fact that changing attitudes takes time, but I will promise you, we will work impatiently.