YAOUNDE, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Many Cameroonian women still suffer from female genital mutilation (FGM) and it was imperative to intensify campaigns against the scourge, a senior official said on Tuesday.
"Mutilations exist and we must come together to eliminate them because it is an atrocious practice which has no justification and rather causes harmful consequences on the life of the woman," Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa said during a press briefing in Yaounde, the capital, to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
"Cameroon due to its commitment is firmly involved in the global fight and is translating its valid commitment into actions by taking political measures and legal framework ... and providing support to civil society organizations," she added.
The phenomenon affects 1.4 percent nationally and 20 percent in focus areas, according to official statistics from the Ministry for the Promotion of Women and the Family.
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM is celebrated globally every Feb. 6 as part of the United Nations' efforts to eradicate FGM, which is one of the ancient cultures practiced in some parts of Africa.
