CAIRO: Uganda has banned female circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM), a traditional rite of passage that has sparked widespread international condemnation against the country, other African, Middle Eastern and Asian societies. The move to pass legislation has left a number of Arab women's advocates pleased over the decision, but they say the time to implement the ruling is still to come. “It is great to see what is happening and government's taking action, but we will believe and support this bill when the government begins to make a true effort to enforce the bill,” said Amal Habeeb, a Moroccan activist. Uganda's Parliament unanimously passed the bill to ban FGM, the practice of cutting off a girl's clitoris. In Eastern Uganda, the practice is carried out on girls up to 15-years-old. One scholar, who asked not to be named, said that the move will be met with resistance, where many believe FGM is a natural process that must be done on women in order for them to be accepted in society. “We must be careful to see what happens, because many Ugandans in certain areas believe that the circumcision of girls is a traditional right and they are unlikely to follow the new law,” the scholar said. According to the new law, convicted offenders face 10 year prison terms if caught, but if the girl dies during the operation, those involved will get a life sentence. “A majority of Ugandans felt it is a disgusting act, but you have to remember that this is a cultural belief that has been practiced for generations,” said Fred Opolot, the government spokesman in comments carried on CNN. “That's what took the bill so long to pass.” Human rights activists have decried the practice, which they say poses major health risks for girls and may lead to death. It also causes complications during sex and child birth, activists say. “The experience has also been related to a range of psychological and psychosomatic disorders,” the United Nations Population Fund says. About three million women and girls face female genital mutilation globally every year, and nearly 140 million have already undergone the practice, according to the United Nations. BM
