Hon Deputy Speaker, on 5 October 2009 and 6 October 2009, the Pan-African Parliament held its women's conference in Midrand, South Africa, and discussed the eradication of all forms of violence against women, especially female genital mutilation, or FGM.
Ten action points for parliamentarians in Africa to support efforts on FGM abandonment were drawn up. The West African countries were reported to be more highly affected by the FGM practice than others. A CD or audiovisual of this practice in Ethiopia was shown to both the women's conference and speakers' conference participants. It was horrible. It was torture to witness what happens to some African girls and women all in the name of culture. The conclusions and proposals endorsed at this conference were noted by the conference of speakers of national assemblies and presidents of senates held on 8 October 2009 and 9 October 2009 under the topic Linking the Pan- African Parliament with National Parliaments and Regional Parliamentary Unions.
The UCDP supports the efforts to abandon this barbaric and torturous act and believes that girls and women have to be free and safe in Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]