US reaffirms commitment to ending Female Genital Mutilation-Cutting - As the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting was observed globally on Monday, the US has said it remains committed to ending the painful process that is widely considered an affront to women's equality, and the rights and dignity of women and girls.

'As we commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance and remember those who have been harmed, we reaffirm our commitment to overturning deeply entrenched social norms and abolishing this practice,' a State Department release quoted US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as saying.

'All women and girls, no matter where they are born or what culture they are raised in, deserve the opportunity to realize their potential,' she said.

It is estimated that 100 to 140 million women around the world have undergone this brutal procedure and three million girls are at risk every year, Mrs Clinton said, adding that no religion mandates the procedure, though it occurs across cultures, religions, and continents, including Africa.

'FGM/C became a federal crime in the United States in 1997, but the procedure persists in some communities. The U.S. Government is working with practitioners in the health and legal community to educate groups about the negative consequences of FGM/C,' she said.

Pana 07/02/2012