The Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Ingrid Mollestad making an address during the observation of the 2023 International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.

As part of the celebration of this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by UNFPA Ghana and its partners at Pusiga in the Upper East Region of Ghana, the Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Ingrid Mollestad admonished community chiefs to eschew harmful cultural practices which undermined the rights and wellbeing of women and girls.

She made this call while addressing the chiefs, young male advocates, officials of the Department of Gender of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, officials of NGOs, as well as schoolchildren and some survivors of FGM.

She stated, “We must promote and embrace cultural and religious practices that are promoting and are respectful of women’s rights.” She made this point to emphasize the fact that positive aspects of culture should be embraced while the harmful ones should be done away with.

She added that, “…neither religion nor cultural traditions should be used as excuses for denying girls and women their human rights”, as the practice of FGM was usually justified by those who practised it with cultural beliefs.

This year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation was held under the theme: “Partnership with Men and Boys to Transform Social and Gender Norms to End FGM.”