Somalia hosts first regional hearing on anti-FGM legislation

Somalia has hosted its first in-country public consultation regarding the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Bill, 2025. Held in Mogadishu on September 2-3, the hybrid hearing brought together Somali government officials, regional lawmakers, religious leaders, and civil society representatives to review the proposed regional legislation.

The consultation is particularly significant because Somalia currently lacks a national law specifically prohibiting FGM. According to the 2020 Somali Demographic and Health Survey cited by Equality Now, an estimated 99% of women and girls in the country have undergone the practice.

Organized by Equality Now, the sessions allowed stakeholders to examine the bill clause by clause. The goal of the engagement is to gather recommendations from the Somali government and citizens to foster acceptance and ensure the regional framework effectively addresses the issue within the country.