Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon. First of all, let me thank the Government of Burkina Faso, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, and the Girl Generation – Support to the Africa-led Movement to end FGM, for their collaboration in organizing this high-level event.
Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights—it is an assault on dignity, an unforgivable wound inflicted on millions of women and girls every year. How can we, as a global society, stand by while girls and women are subjected to this cruel and irreversible practice?
We must be clear: there is no justification — cultural, religious, or otherwise — for this abuse. The fight against FGM is not just a moral imperative, it is a test of our collective humanity. That is why the Italian Government remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicating this practice, both at the national level and on the international stage.
With its long-standing commitment to eliminating this harmful practice, Italy is at the forefront of this fight within the framework of our foreign policy and development cooperation, through our support for multilateral initiatives such as the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. The Programme is producing important results in partner countries, and last year we doubled our financial commitment, mobilizing 4 million euros to accelerate these efforts.
At the national level, due to a long tradition of civil and legislative commitment, the phenomenon is less widespread compared to many other regions in the world. However, we know that we cannot consider ourselves exempt from it. The presence of communities from countries where FGM remains prevalent requires constant vigilance and effective intervention to prevent it. Through Law No. 7 of 2006, our Country introduced specific measures to punish those who practice or facilitate female genital mutilation, reaffirming firmly that this violence cannot be tolerated.
Furthermore, we are in the process of defining a collaboration with a major Italian University, through which an assessment of the phenomenon in Italy will be carried out and an “Integrated Communication Plan” will be developed based on differentiated contents, methods, and means for communication campaigns targeting different groups, contents, and distribution channels.
We are also convinced that, for an even more effective impact of interventions, the role and co-participation of civil society organizations are crucial. Today’s event aims to bring us together in a shared reflection on the political and social actions necessary to eliminate this practice.
Thank you for your commitment and for being here today, as a testament to the will to act together against this form of violence. Italy will not waver, we will not turn away, and we will not rest until every girl, everywhere, is free from the threat of FGM.
I wish you a fruitful side event filled with insights that can lead to concrete and shared actions.
Thank you.
