Sudan to outlaw female genital mutilation
Sudan looks set to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM), in a substantial move welcomed by campaigners.
Anyone found undertaking FGM will face up to three years in prison, according to a document seen by the Guardian.
The council of ministers approved the brand new law on 22 April, nonetheless it still must be passed by members of the sovereign council, that was created following the ousting of former dictator Omar al-Bashir.
Amira Azhary, from the National Council for Child Welfare and a campaigner for the Saleema initiative, which campaigns for an end to the practice, said: "We expect that regulations will be passed by the sovereign council and if that occurs, it will be a manifestation of the political will in this country."
Sudan has among the highest rates of FGM in the world. According to the UN, 87% of Sudanese women have undergone the practice. Girls usually are cut between your ages of five and 14.
However, for the reason that practice is entrenched in Sudanese culture, activists expect it will take a long time to be eradicated entirely. "There is indeed much work to be done. That is a start, an excellent start," said Fatma Naib, communication officer of the UN children's agency, Unicef, in Sudan.
"The crucial step is to ensure there are consequences for individuals who perform the cut on the girls."
Some states in the country banned FGM a couple of years ago, but attempts to ban it nationally weren't successful under Bashir.
"Sudanese women together with the Egyptians and Somalis have been leading the fight against FGM," said Nimco Ali, a respected anti-FGM activist who heads up the Five Foundation, a global partnership to get rid of the practice. "Sudanese women have always wanted to end FGM. Sudan took the same path as Egypt politically - and which means women may also lead and be the main transitional government."
The UK's international development secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, tweeted: "In our turbulent world, fantastic to see the new government in #Sudan outlawing female genital mutilation. There is no place for #FGM in the 21st century."
Baroness Sugg, the UK's special envoy for girls' education, tweeted: "That is a vital step towards a world where every girl is safe."
FGM involves the partial or total removal of the feminine external genitalia for non-medical reasons.
The UN estimates that 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM in 31 countries - 27 of which are in Africa.
However, a report published in March said the quantity could be much higher as the practice is carried out in more than 90 countries, a lot of which do not gather data.
World leaders have pledged to eliminate FGM by 2030.
