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July 22nd, 2016 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : Egypt’s Administrative Court, on Thursday, rejected an appeal against the Health Ministry’s decision to ban female genital mutilation.
The Administrative Court explained that it rejected the appeal because the plaintiff is irrelevant to the lawsuit, report The Cairo Post/Youm7. The appeal had been filed by two lawyers who were demanding the abolition the ban of female genital mutilation (FGM) because, so they argued, it contradicts the Egyptian Constitution and represents a blatant assault on personal freedom and principles.
A survey from 2015 concluded that about nine in ten Egyptian women between the ages of 15 to 49 had been subject to FGM. The administration of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has taken several steps to end the practice that is prevalent in many African, especially sub-Saharan African countries like in Nigeria where it was outlawed in 2015. The practice is, however, deeply entrenched.
In November 2014 a medical doctor was acquitted after having been charged in the death of Soheir al-Batea, a 13-year-old victim of female genital mutilation (FGM) who died from the surgery in June 2013. The death of the 13-year-old girl and the acquittal prompted an outcry among activists and rights advocates, and, arguably, caused a political sea change.
Courtesy Layalk via Flickr
In May 2016 a young girl died during a failed FGM operation. The mother a nurse, requested a burial permission be issued, claiming she died while removing adenoids from her lower belly. However, Suez Health Inspector Sedqi Sedhom refused the request after he discovered the girl had gone through female genital mutilation (FGM.)
The body of the girl, Mayar Mohamed, has been placed in Suez Public Hospital morgue until the Forensic Medicine department examines it. The twin of the girl was also circumcised, but survived the operation. In June 2016 the mother of a 17-year-old female genital mutilation (FGM) victim and the anesthetist who was part of the medical team, were arrested by the prosecution.
FGM continues to be relatively prevalent in Egypt. An investigation in early 2016 resulted in the conclusion that FGM is, among others, carried out in underground “surgeries” at markets, and “affordable” for about 5 US dollar. Parties involved in a girl’s genital mutilation face a prison term of three months to two years or a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 EGP. A law against FGM was adopted in 2008. However, the implementation and enforcement of the law did not begin before 2014.
CH/L – nsnbc 22.07.2016
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/07/22/egyptian-court-rejects-appeal-against-banning-fgm/
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