Egypt’s national anti-female genital mutilation committee has launched the first phase of a campaign called “Protect Her From Circumcision.”

The awareness-raising campaign comes a month after the formation of the national committee.

It is led by the head of the National Council for Women (NCW) Maya Morsi and the secretary-general of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) Azza Ashmawi.

Egypt has a 2030 national strategy on women’s empowerment, which also covers FGM.

The campaign is timed around the national anti-FGM day, which falls on 14 June, to mark the death of a 11-year-old girl who died of complications of FGM surgery in Minya governorate on that date in 2007. 

At a press conference, Morsi said the national committee is committed to mobilising all efforts and expertise to achieve the best interest of girls.

She praised the constant support by the political leadership and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the issue of protecting and empowering Egyptian girls and women.

The campaign will include radio messages, including on religious stations, and convoys deployed to different areas.