"Synergy between all parties, including the government, community institutions, religious leaders, community leaders, mass media, and other parties, is essential and is the key to preventing the practice of female circumcision in Indonesia," she stressed during a webinar on female genital mutilation prevention, which was accessed online from here on Friday.
According to Novi, FGM/C practices have continued in Indonesia due to cultural reasons or factors outside of medical indications. This has been despite the fact that such practices harm women, both physically and mentally, she said.
Novi affirmed that the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection has been adopting different strategies to prevent FGM/C by collecting data, including FGM/C indicators into surveys of violence against women, and educating the public regarding the harm caused by FGM/C.
In addition, she said her office has been cooperating with various community institutions, stakeholders, religious leaders, and community leaders in efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation in the country.
Related news: Female circumcision harming women: ministry
Earlier, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection had urged ulemas of Islamic boarding schools to build commitment toward preventing FGM through the II Islamic Boarding School Ulemas Conference. Themed "Building Ulemas' Commitment in Preventing FGM/C," the conference was held in November 2021.
The II Islamic Boarding School Ulemas Conference was expected to produce more robust recommendations on building ulemas' commitment to preventing female genital mutilation/cutting, Novi said.
"The conference agreed that the practice of FGM/C is a non-medical act, not part of religious directives, and this is also proven by facts from the development of the medical world," she added.
Related news: Ministerial decree on female circumcision to protect children
Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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