ECWR Condemns MP’s statement on FGM

(Cairo 14^th July, 2016) ECWR condemns the statement of a Member of health committee of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Ahmed el-Tahawy, on female genital mutilation (FGM), as he said, as a doctor, he believes that“Leaving the female without excision is wrong, beside there is no harm to the female from the circumcision operation.”

The MP’s statement is an incitement to commit a crime and violence against women. Instead of MPs performing their legislative and monitoring duties, some MPs are inciting a crime. This statement also violates the law as the practice of FGM is criminalized in Egypt.

The Egyptian Penal Code stipulates that,

“Whoever causes wound mentioned in Articles no 241 & 242 of penal code occurs by female genital mutilation shall be punished with imprisonment for not less than a period of three months and not exceed two years or a fine of not less than 5000 pounds “

It also violates the Health Minister decree 271 of 2007 which states in its first article,

“Doctors, health providers and others are banned from performing FGM whether in governmental or non-governmental hospitals or other places. Whoever commits this operation is violating law and the profession’s regulations“.

It is no secret how many females died due to FGM operations conducted by doctors or health providers.

Hence, ECWR calls for:

• Conducting an investigation by The Values Committee in the House of Representatives with this Member of Parliamentfor inciting crimes and violence against women
• Issuing a law quickly with the stricter penalties for FGM
• Taking serious action by the Ministry of Health with some doctors who perform FGM operations