Female genital mutilation in Uganda : a glimpse at the abolition process

Abstract

This article looks at three legal steps that have been taken in Uganda to abolish the practice of female genital mutilation: (1) a process during the drafting of the constitution that resulted in the enactment of different constitutional provisions that implicitly rendered female genital mutilation unconstitutional; (2) the declaration by the Constitutional Court in the case of Law and Advocacy for Women in Uganda v Attorney General in July 2010 that the practice is unconstitutional; and (3) the enactment in April 2010 of the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act. This article highlights some of the challenges that are likely to be encountered in enforcing both the Constitutional Court decision and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act.