JOHANNESBURG, Female Genital Mutilation will come under the spotlight as the Pan African Parliament (PAP) holds it final session of 2017 in Midrand near here this week.

More than 200 million girls and women have been subjected to tFGM in almost 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and the PAP will focus on legal instruments relating to women’s rights, even though the role of the PAP in general remains unknown to ordinary people on the continent.

As the Pan African Parliament resumes, women from across the continent will meet Members of the PAP and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss laws relating to women’s rights, with particular emphasis on FGM.

We will also have a women’s conference and at that conference, we will celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child. But the conference itself is largely organized to focus on legal instruments affecting the African Union (AU) family that have not yet been ratified,” says the Clerk of the Pan African Parliament, Vipya Harawa.

“So, it will focus on progress and ratifying these legal instruments, especially those that relate to women’s rights, to the rights of the youth and also those that are likely to impact matters relating to female genital mutilation.”

Resolutions of the Pan African Parliament are submitted to the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government which meets annually in January and June. The PAP meets four times a year.

South African President Jacob Zuma is among Heads of State expected to address some sessions of the sitting.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK