July 21st, London - Represented by Mrs.
Amal Mahmud, the National Council for Child Welfare’s Secretary General and Dr.
Samira A Ahmed from UNICEF Sudan, the Saleema Initiative is in London to attend
the Girl Summit. The international Summit hosted by the Department of
International Development of the United Kingdom and UNICEF is calling for
building a world where FGM/C and child marriage are no longer practiced.
On the eve of
the Summit, around six hundred people representing invited countries, civic
society, youth and media have gathered in the inaugural reception. The
reception was addressed by Mrs. Tereza May, representing the British Minister
of Interior, who have mentioned the determination of young people to take
action for enabling girls to fulfill their potential free from violence and
discrimination. Mrs. May also stressed the Girls Summit’s role in making a
change for girls and women as major driver for developing healthy, happy and
prosperous societies.
Mr. Tony Lake,
UNICEF’s Executive Director, addressed the reception by focusing on two words,
urgency and energy. He stated that while FGM/C and Child Marriage have long
terms effects all around the world, this makes it very urgent for girls facing
either of them. Despite UNICEF provides numbers that show progress, population
growth is outpacing progress and there is need to dedicate more energy to
address these issues because "there is no time to lose", said Mr.
Lake.
"The
Summit is an excellent opportunity for advocacy and sharing of experiences,”
said Mrs. Amal Mahmud, NCCW Secretary General. The Saleema initiative will be
part of the Summit’s deliberations and will find a conducive environment for
promoting tools and strategic actions to be taken thereafter.
UNICEF
estimates that in 2012, approximately 70 million young women aged 20 to 24 (or
around 1 in 3) were married before the age of 18. More than 125 million
girls and women alive today have suffered some form of FGM in the 29 countries
where the practice is concentrated. The Girl Summit is a unique opportunity to
strengthen efforts to promote rights of girls and women.
Dr. Samira A
Ahmed from the Girls Summit in London
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