On May 15, twenty villages of the rural area of Makalondi publicly committed to abandon Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early and forced marriage, abductions, exploitation of children, school dropout and rural exodus.

1. Press release:
Public declaration for the abandonment of traditional harmful practices:
20 villages of Makalondi region commit to enforce children’s and
women’s rights in Niger.
Niamey (Niger), 15 May 2013- On May 15, twenty villages of the rural area of
Makalondi publicly committed to abandon Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),
early and forced marriage, abductions, exploitation of children, school dropout
and rural exodus.
The commitment ceremony which took place in Makalondi, was presided over
by the First Lady, Malika Issoufou, and attended by representatives from the
Government, Members of Parliament, representatives of international
organizations, religious leaders and traditional chiefs, as well as other guests.
Through their representatives at the ceremony, the 13 654 inhabitants of these
20 villages, mainly of the Gourmantché community, publicly expressed their
“unanimous commitment to abandon all harmful practices, including Female
Genital Mutilation”. Each village was represented by two men, two women, two
youths, two religious leaders and one traditional chief. ,
This public statement is part of a strategy aimed at promoting the
abandonment of harmful practices affecting the health and well-being of
children and women, based on the belief that community-based protection
fosters children’s development and self-fulfillment. This approach has been
implemented by the Comité Nigérien sur les Pratiques Traditionnelles
(CONIPRAT) since 2007, in collaboration with the Ministry of Population,
Promotion of Women and Children’s Protection, with technical and financial
support from Unicef.
Through this innovative approach based on human rights, reproductive health
and the promotion of abandonment of harmful cultural practices, CONIPRAT
and Unicef strive to foster a change in social norms and behaviour.
The First Lady, Malika Issoufou, who embodies the struggle against female
genital mutilation in Niger, expressed “the wish to see other practitioners follow
the path of the inhabitants of the 20 villages”. According to the Minister of
Promotion of Women’s and Children’s Protection, Maikibi Kadidiatou Dandobi,
this ceremony shows the Government’s commitment to ban the practice of
female genital mutilation in Niger, and to contribute to the promotion of a

2. protective environment for women’s and children’s rights in the country. She
explained: “this firm commitment has already been turned into action, with a
law voted in 2003 to ban Female Genital Mutilations, which has been enforced
since 2007”.
For Unicef Deputy Representative, Isselmou Boukhary, this ceremony
symbolizes a major shift in the struggle against violence in Niger. He reiterated
the availability of the agency to “support the Government and to collaborate
with other partners in the development of initiatives designed to implement
women’s and children’s rights in Niger”.
Female Genital Mutilation is performed on women and girls from 0 to 15 years
of age and consists in the cutting, partial or total removal of the external female
genitalia, potentially leading to serious consequences for health and strongly
affecting their fundamental rights.
In Niger, where these cultural practices are still perpetrated, causing harmful
consequences for the health and well-being of children and women, the FGM
prevalence rate is 2, 2 % and 38% of girls are married before the age of 15.
With a prevalence rate of 12%, Tillabéry is the most affected area of Niger.
Within Gourmantché communities, the FGM rate was 65% in 2006.
For more information, please contact :: Tahirou Gouro, Communication Officer, Unicef Niger; mob: +227 98 88
41 41; Email: tgouro@unicef.org or Salmey Bebert, Child Protection Specialistt, Unicef Niger; mob: +227 96
96 11 19 ; Email : sbebert@unicef.org
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