Source: Daily Monitor
As Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), we must recognise that despite a sustained effort to rid this country of the brutal practice, FGM remains deeply rooted among some communities.

On this day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, observed each year on February 6 to raise awareness, key challenges facing the fight against FGM must be identified and tackled. Despite passing of a legislation that outlawed FGM in 2010 and efforts by UN agencies like UNFPA and UNICEF, there are still stumbling blocks to total elimination of this practice.

Following the passing of the FGM law, for instance, it was reported that girls in Bukwo, Kween and Kapchorwa districts were crossing into Kenya--with the help of community elders-- to get circumcised in plantations at night. This should be a reminder that banning the practice on paper alone does not work, more so because some politicians from these communities are said to be afraid to condemn FGM.

It is disappointing that some community leaders still shy away from campaigning against this harmful practice that exposes their daughters to various health risks. The procedure itself is dangerous and particularly humiliating for the young women. Worse still, there are documented life-long health complications on the women, ranging from the likelihood of death as a result of childbirth-related complications, to permanent physical and psychological pain. Just like any other harmful practice, FGM is also a gross violation of the rights of women as human beings!

As communities are educated through awareness about the dangers of FGM, it is critical to start with changing the mind-set of the people. Communities that have practiced FGM as an accepted, even cherished, cultural requirement will find it almost impossible to reject it overnight. That is why some are escaping from the law to carry out the ritual in Kenya. In that regard, neighbouring communities in Kenya need to be involved in ensuring that efforts to eliminate FGM are not derailed.

Complete elimination of FGM cannot be achieved overnight. The efforts must be comprehensive, sustained, and must involved every member of the practicing communities. It is crucial that messages against FGM are simplified and disseminated to the locals through radios, schools, churches and village groups.

• Uganda