The Sudanese government said on Saturday that effort is ongoing towards criminalising the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in the country.

Under the proposed amendment to the criminal code, anyone found guilty of performing the procedure would be sentenced to up to three years in prison.

Reports say the law is still awaiting ratification by a joint meeting of the Cabinet and the sovereign council, which assumed power after last year’s overthrow of long-time President Omar al-Bashir.

Female genital mutilation is a deeply rooted practice in Sudan and other countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where it is traditionally seen as a way of curbing female sexual desire to reinforce conservative behaviour.

A 2014 report by the UN’s children agency estimated that 87% of Sudanese women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subjected to the procedure.

The government’s proposal is part of a set of sweeping amendments that would abolish death penalty for people under the age of 18 and prevent pregnant women from being imprisoned for minor crimes.

Moral policing law
In November, the transitional government overturned an al-Bashir moral policing law that criminalized revealing clothing for women and drinking alcohol.

The move was hailed by rights groups as “a step forward for women’s rights.”

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, Dalia al-Roubi, said the government hopes to convene a meeting with the sovereign council soon to ratify the law.

By Olajumoke Adeleke