Accra, Feb. 6, GNA- Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Women's Affairs, on Thursday urged the communities, civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to rise up to the challenge of educating society on the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to improve the lives of women and girls.

A statement made by the Minister in Parliament to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for the Elimination of FGM, marked every February 6, she said harmful traditional practice and other forms of "undesirable socio-cultural acts have received world attention as discriminatory acts of violence against women, girls and humanity in general."

"It is for this reason that international bodies and other stakeholders have presented a common front to fight against its elimination by the year 2010 throughout the world", she added. The Minister said FGM was of great concern to government, civil right groups and agencies and important steps in the form of enacting laws and policies have been taken by the government to control the situation.

"Mr. Speaker, despite these significant breakthroughs in the fight to eradicate FGM by 2010, there still remain a massive struggle that needs to be contended with... the pain and sufferings of those living under the yoke of other age-old negative traditional values, also needs to be seriously addressed."

"Reports reaching us reveal that some babies born in this country are now being circumcised outside our borders. Some mothers who have circumcised their baby girls refuse to take their babies to antenatal clinics since it would be detected," the Minister said.

She said many of the babies who had been taken through FGM were dying of haemorrhage and infections such as tetanus and were being denied immunisations against the killer diseases.

Mrs Asmah said to work towards the elimination of FGM, there must be sustained interventions from all areas of society, including the involvement of chiefs and queen mothers.

Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, (RTD) NPP-Berekum who associated himself with the statement, said he would support Mrs Asmah for an amendment to make the FGM law by changing it into a first degree felony so that those involved in the practice be given life sentences instead of the current imprisonment term for offenders.

Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, NDC-Kumbungu, said lack of a policy document on women was a problem, and it needed to be well tackled.

He said it was not enough to make laws and that education was a vital tool to deal with FGM. Mrs. Agnes Sonful, Amenfie West, said women and girls who went through FGM were candidates for various reproductive health problems and added her voice for more intensive education. Mrs Theresa Baffoe, NDC- New Edubiase said some men were to be held responsible for pushing girls into FGM to satisfy their own sexual desire.